Just Forget Them, For Your Own Good
by Airame Phantom
Summary: I got a scene in my head while listening to music. In an alternate timeline, Clockwork didn't save Danny's family, friends, and teacher from the explosion at the Nasty Burger. Full summary inside.
1. Help

A/N: I was listening to some music the other day and got this idea. The scene just came into my head and I did a little revising to it and figured maybe this would work. I hope you like it.

Summary: In an alternate time line, Clockwork didn't rewind time when Danny's parents, sister, friends, and teacher died. Clockwork had decided to see what the boy would do after seeing what would have occurred should he have separated his ghost half. He decided to see how the boy would react. This was his plan. Let us see the results.

* * *

**Just Forget Them, For Your Own Good**

**Chapter One**

**Help**

* * *

After capturing Dan in the thermos, Danny goes back to focusing on his family and friends' predicament. Time was running out! He quickly runs towards them. He tries to go ghost. No use. The rings form around his waits, but then vanish just as fast as they came. While caught in the slight shock of not being able to go ghost, Danny trips over a rock in the pavement. 

Danny saw the explosion, lights everywhere. He closed his eyes, being blown back by the force of it. During this split second in the air, he thought so many things. He imagined so many scenes with Clockwork coming in, stopping time, saving him and his friends and family. But he only found the ground and lamp post as his only greeting as he hit the floor.

He lay motionless on his side against the lamp post for a very long time, not wanting to open his eyes or to see the damage. He didn't want to see his loved ones' remains scattered everywhere. It would be too much to bear. It would tear his heart out. But he had no choice. His bones and muscles ached for movement of any kind after that impact.

Danny propped himself up on one elbow slowly, afraid. He looked towards the Nasty Burger, or rather it's remains. His eyes filled with tears before he could even take the image into his mind. He, for one, didn't want the image to scar his mind and heart forever. He got up, still aching, thermos in hand. His legs still give way and he falls to his knees, tears pouring down his face and onto the rocky pavement. They fill a small crack on the floor, running like a tiny, thin stream to his hands. He dares not look up.

He has an open wound on his arm from impact on the uneven pavement, but the pain is nonexistent to him. His muscles feel so sore and it hurts to breathe. Shoulders shaking and taking ragged breaths, Danny forces himself to stand as nearby police and ambulance sirens begin to wail. The sounds ring in his ears. He leans against the bent lamp post, watching half-heartedly as the police cars and ambulances come into his blurry line of vision. His hairs won't let him see clearly, it falling onto his face. Small beads of sweat roll down his forehead.

He feels so weak, drained of energy. A police car drove up about seven yards from him and a man climbed out. "Hey, boy!" the man shouted. "Are you alright?" Danny only stood there, watching the man near him. Soon enough, he was gazing into his face with saddened, blue eyes. "Are you okay, son?" the man asked. Danny had been covering the wound on his arm with his hand, but felt too weak to even keep the wound hidden. His hand fell to his side and he leaned entirely onto the lamp post for support. He couldn't keep his balance and swayed on his feet, nearly collapsing. "My god!" the man gasped. "Over here!" he called over some paramedics. "Get this kid some help!"

Danny felt himself start to drift off into a land of sub-consciousness. Pain filled the wound on his arm as his mind was cleared abruptly of the past thoughts. He was grateful for it, but yet a small part of him said he would have rather died too.

* * *

E/N: In the end of the story, which will be a little short, I'll tell you what two songs got me thinking this up. Also, sorry for the shortness of the chapter.

I did a little bit of revising. Someone pointed something out. I hope the ending is a little better now. Remember: Critique and good reviews are some times necessary for my health. And I read every single one. Thanks for reading!

--Airamé Phantom


	2. Leave Me Alone

A/N: On goes the story!

* * *

**Chapter Two**

**Leave Me Alone**

* * *

Danny heard soft voices speaking. They sounded echo-like so he figured he must be in an enclosed area. He felt the soft, velvet touch of fabric over him so he also surmised that he must be in either his house or a hospital. The beeping sound of a cardiac monitor confirmed his conclusion of being in a hospital. He paid close attention to the voices though. One sounded familiar. They were two distinct voices actually. One sounded like it would belong to a doctor, speaking wisely and intelligently about Danny's condition. The other voice sounded as if it were hiding something, a false tone of concern. But what really got him, was that the thermos wasn't in his possession anymore. With Dan inside it, he feared what might happen. He decided he would ask about it later. 

He opened his eyes, forced them open more like it. He saw the face he would have not wanted to see after this. He bolted straight up. "You!" he exclaimed. The sudden movement sent pain spiraling through his muscles and ever fiber of his being. He winced and groaned quietly.

"Daniel, please," Vlad said. "You are not in the condition to speak, let alone move." Danny looked at him, one eye closed against the soreness of his muscles. Vlad was right. He wasn't in the condition to move and even speaking hurt. He laid back down dejectedly.

Vlad smiled half-heartedly and Danny knew he was talking to the doctor about something very important. It would probably end up a milestone in his life. But he could only listen and not object as the two adults spoke.

"The boy has no other family except in Spittoon that I know of," Vlad said. "The woman lives alone and I don't believe that it would be a very good idea for someone in his condition to live in such a primitive manner."

"Yes, but you are neither a blood-relative nor an incredibly close friend of the family," the doctor replied.

"I've known his father since way back. We were great friends in high school and college," Vlad said. "Maddie and I have also known each other as long. I feel almost compelled to take the boy in. He is the son of a friend that I owe dearly too."

Danny knew what that meant. Vlad had said something like that at the reunion, that he could have never gotten so much money without Jack because he had given Vlad his ghost powers by accident.

"Please," Vlad insisted. "I can do no other than help him with this. He must be both mentally and physically affected by all this. A trial period perhaps?"

The doctor seemed very reluctant. "I don't know..." He looked at Vlad carefully. His sincere expression. Then he glanced at Danny. "What do you think?'

Danny was astounded by the question. He never thought he would ahve to decide. He looked at the doctor, then at Vlad. His mouth went dry. "I..." he mumbled. He licked his lips. The future Vlad had told him that he had come to him because he would feel that there was no other person who could understand him. He had also told Danny that he had wanted him to take out his ghost half.

His hand sub-consciously went to his heart, clutching the fabric there. If he didn't ask Vlad to rip out his ghost half, then Dan would still never exist. Vlad never said that living with him would do anything wrong. And if he didn't want his other half removed, then Vlad's half wouldn't be ripped out either. Then Dan would not be formed. It was risky, but flawless in a way. Besides, he didn't want to go live in Spittoon with his aunt. "I guess," he said quietly.

"Okay," the doctor said. "Then I guess it's settled. Daniel, you will go live with Vlad. If anything should go wrong or should happen, then do not hesitate to take charge." Danny nodded feebly.

"We'll send for your things as soon as possible," Vlad said then. "I'm sure I will be able to help you, Daniel, unless my name is not Vladimir Masters."

* * *

Within about an hour or so, Danny was out of the hospital having been made sure he was okay by the doctor. He didn't have any broken bones, nor any damage except for a few bruises and minor wounds. He would live. 

Vlad had sent for his stuff shortly after the decision about where Danny would live was made. He made a few calls and got a room for Danny in his mansion before they had even arrived. The funeral for his family, friends, and teacher would be about in about an hour. Then, Vlad decided, they would leave for the mansion as soon as possible.

But once the funeral came, Danny could not bear it. He didn't cry, didn't speak, but when the time came for the coffins to be lowered into the deep hole, he walked away. He didn't want to think about worms and maggots, and other things crawling into their coffins as their remains rotted away with time. He didn't want to see the crying people standing around him: the Mansons, Foleys, his aunt, Vlad, even Valerie and her father were there. More importantly, he didn't want to be the only one who could not, would not, weep.

Instead he found himself walking over to random angel statue and sitting on the foundation of it, not wanting to look in the direction of the people standing over the new graves. He was startled by the hand landing on his shoulder.

"It's hard, isn't it?" Valerie's voice was soft and rhythmic. Danny turned to her, nearly falling but keeping himself on the marble of the statue.

"Yeah," he said quietly. Valerie took a seat next to him and joined him in surveying all the tomb stones.

"When my mom died," Valerie said. "I cried for days and would refused to talk to anybody." Danny didn't look at her, merely lowered his glance. "We were really close, you know? Since my dad wasn't home very much."

"I'm sorry," Danny whispered. Valerie gave him a warm smile.

"I guess different people handle this in different ways," Valerie said. "Vlad told me you were found on the scene and saw everything. I could never imagine what it would be like seeing my family or anyone close to me die like that." Danny shuddered and hugged himself slightly. He nodded. "Must've been really hard for you."

"I could have stopped it," Danny whispered. "It was my fault."

"Danny, don't say that!" Valerie said sternly. "It wasn't your fault, it never was. Things happen for really weird reasons. Don't ever think it's your fault!"

Danny looked away from her. "You don't understand," he said harshly and stood and walked away.

"Danny!" Valerie called.

"Just leave me alone!" Danny shouted and continued on his way outside the cemetary.

"Danny," Valerie sighed. He was really messed up. She could tell he was. He probably just needed time. That's all everyone needs. Time to get things right where they were wrong. A second chance.

* * *

E/N: I know. Not too long, but hey, I tried. Plus I got these scenes in my head I really want to use. So I really got to watch what I'm doingor elsethey won't work later on. Okay, review if you want!

I did some revising again. Just to the part of Danny and Valerie's conversation. I once again point out that if you have any thing you want to tell me of how to make the chappter sound better in any way or form, tell me in a review. I read every single one from beginning to end. Thanks for reading!

--Airamé Phantom


	3. My Home

A/N: Chapter Three. Wow. Never thought I'd get this far.

* * *

**Chapter Three**

**My Home**

* * *

Vlad watched from afar as the boy walked away from Valerie and out of the cemetery. He could only imagine what he was going through. Poor child. He'd seen them die, seen them cry out for help. But if only he knew the whole story, then maybe he could help him bear this more easily. Maybe he could find a way to help him forget at least. 

After the ceremony, Vlad walked out of the cemetery and found Danny sitting against gates of the place, watching the cars zoom bye. His head was leaned against the gate, a totally blank expression. Vlad wiped away the traces of tears from his eyes and said, "You did not stay for the entire ceremony."

Danny didn't stir, he only spoke. "I couldn't." The words were simple, but they held so much hidden emotion the boy could not show.

Vlad leaned against the gate and stood there for awhile in the silence. "We'll be leaving shortly," he said at last.

"To your place?" Danny asked, looking at him now. Vlad nodded. Danny stood. "Can I first go to my house?"

"Your things have already arrived at the castle."

"Yeah, but there are some things I need to get first. Things I gotta do," Danny said. Vlad looked a little reluctant, but agreed.

"Fine, I will leave and will send for you soon enough," he said. "Three hours, Daniel."

"Thanks," Danny said.

* * *

Vlad left soon afterwards with a reminder to Danny that he should not waste too much time on whatever he had to do. Danny quickly said good-bye and was on his way. He wanted to see and remember everything about this city he'd grown to know so much about. He wanted to make a silent recording of the sounds, a secret motion film of all the places he'd been too, a silent picture album of all the adventures his friends and him, even his sister, had had here. 

He went everywhere: the school, the mall, park, ever the old train park where Circus Gothica had once been. He remembered when he and Sam had skipped school. He had skipped because of the ghosts, but her, she just wanted to be here to see the opening ceremony. She was so independent, unique, you just had to love her. And Tucker. He was always talking about technology, getting girls, but Danny never once realized that, though his grades were just as low as his were, Tucker was actually really smart. Then that only reminded him of Jazz: the smart one of the family. She'd always tried to help him. She'd even kept his secret for him. Of course, he didn't know that she knew, but still, she'd kept it from their parents and everyone else. His parents. They were always talking about ghosts, embarrassing him and his sister, and some times even challenged him to a fight or two while he was in his ghost form. But deep down, he appreciated it, appreciated them even when he thought he hated them so. They'd always been there and would have continued to be there should they have been alive right now. Finally, Mr. Lancer. There wasn't much to say about the guy other than he was a determined teacher. He'd helped Danny how to do well in school and, in a way, in life. He'd taught him that if he didn't care, then no one else would either. But more importantly, Mr. Lancer was always willing to give up his own time to help any student if they needed help and always gave them second chances.

Now, Danny found himself standing in the middle of his living room, looking at every detail. He wished to get a few things, reminders, of his parents and sister. He never wanted to forget them. Never. He walked over to the coffee table, glanced at the photo sitting there. The smiling face of his mother gazed back at him. A small smile creased his lips as he picked it up. It was a photo of when he was seven and he, his mother, father, and sister had been at a picnic.

He looked around the living room for something to put it in and found a duffel bag. Opening it, he quickly and carefully put the photo inside. He walked up the stairs and into his sister's room, the very first door to the right. Inside, everything was pink. Bearbert lay on his side on the bed. Jazz had sewn him back up after he'd ripped it to get her to act like her age when Youngblood had shown up again. Danny walked over to the stuffed animal and placed him inside the duffel bag too.

Taking one last look around the room, he exited and walked to his parent's room. There was nothing except for his dad's action figures to take out of there. This way, Danny would have little miniatures of all of them. He laughed at the thought, a cold, warped laugh. Little miniatures. It was funny to him, funny in a strange, sick way.

Only one last thing to get, and it was in his room. He didn't know why, but he was more apprehensive about entering his room than any of the others. It was as if he was scared of what he might see, what he might remember. But he entered. What he was looking for was very important to him unlike anything else. He'd grown up with Jazz, his parents, but his friends were the ones he knew that if he didn't have something from them then he would soon forget. He didn't want that. He wanted them to live for eternity inside his memory.

Danny walked over to his computer desk. Sure enough, he found it. The scrap book filled with pictures of them growing from mere friends to the best trio of ghost-hunters the world could ever grow to know. The words printed on the cover of the badly-made book made his eyes sting, but no tears came at all. He put the book inside the duffel back, blocking away the memory of the explosion.

That was one thing he both wanted to remember and forget. The memory of their deaths would be too much to bear. But without it, he would always believe it was his fault. He would believe that in a way, he was the one who killed them. Which was true, but then again, if he always remembered what would happen if he ripped out his ghost half, then he would never do so and this would never happen. If Dan never came to be, then everything would go back to normal because there wouldn't be a Dan to go back in time and ruin his entire life.

If only it could be that simple.

* * *

E/N: I regret the fact that most chapters will only be so long. Usually I write more than this in other fics, but I don't think I'll be able to make them too long. I hope this chapter wasn't boring. Nothing eventful happened. I just wanted Danny to point out all the things he really appreciated about his family, friends, and Lancer. 

--Airamé Phantom


	4. Am I Crazy?

A/N: Chapter Four. Kinda short.

* * *

**Chapter Four**

**Am I Crazy?**

* * *

Danny arrived at Vlad's castle less than an hour after his visit to his house. He'd made sure to say good-bye to the Foleys, Mansons, and Grays. He would miss them all, even if the Mansons didn't like him very much. He now sat in his new room, at the edge of the bed, staring at the duffel bag. He didn't know what to do anymore. He felt as if his life was already over, as if he no longer had a place in the world. 

Sighing, the boy stood. He walked over to the duffel bag and emptied it out. Setting the photo on the bed-side table, he went about setting everything where it was supposed to be. The little miniatures were hidden in the drawer of his new computer desk; the scrapbook was put under his mattress; Bearbert went right on top of his computer desk. A reminder of everyone he ever loved put secretly in his room so Vlad would never notice a thing. Well, except maybe the photo, but why would he get mad about that? He loved Maddie too. A lot.

Danny was startled by a sudden knock on the door. "Dinner will be ready soon, Daniel," called the deep, educated voice of the butler.

"Thanks, be down in a sec," Danny called back.

"Yes, sir," the butler said and Danny heart his faint foot-steps as he walked down the hall and down the stairs. He took one last glance around the room and then sighed and exited into the hall. He made sure to close the door behind him, then walked down the stairs and into the dining room. There was a long table, Vlad sitting at one end and a chair waiting for Danny on the other. The food was already served. It reminded Danny a lot of what his mom used to cook.

Vlad noticed him just staring silently at the food, still standing, and quickly waved him to sit down. "Please, Daniel," he said quietly. Danny looked at him with sorrowful eyes, then reluctantly and hesitantly sat down on the chair. He sat there silently, picking at the food several times before taking a bite. He chewed slowly, swallowed, and so continued the process.

"You have nothing to say this evening?" Vlad asked. Danny sighed and put his fist, fork in hand, down on the table softly, the fork making a semi-loud click as it touched the plate.

"No," he said. His voice was set in monotone, making his voice sound just a bit more deep and serious.

"It is not good to bottle up emotions, Daniel," Vlad stated.

Danny's hand tightened around the fork. "What do you care? I'm already dead, I don't feel anything," he said, it almost a whisper.

"You're very much alive, and are Maddie's son," Vlad said. "Daniel, you are my responsibility."

Danny lifted his glance so he could see Vlad, but his hair covered most of his line of vision. His teeth clenched. "Is that the only reason you took me in, Vlad?" he asked harshly. "Because I'm her son?" His eyes narrowed noticeably in near disgust. Vlad blinked, shocked.

"Daniel, I will not permit you to talk to me in such a manner," he hissed. "I was just as hurt as you were towards their deaths. You are no more special nor significant. Your emotions are no more strong than mine."

Danny gritted his teeth against the words his throat so much wanted to say. He lowered his glance entirely, focusing on his food, then closing his eyes against the stinging of them. But no tears came, just as before. "Vlad," he said, looking up slightly again. "I really don't care for your reasons of taking me in. But when it comes to talking about how they died, you can't say anything about it. You weren't there. You'll never know what it was like to know you could have done something, but failed to do so."

"If you could tell me what happened," Vlad said. "Then maybe we will be able to understand each other more easily. If you could just tell me how it happened, I could help you."

"No one can help me!" Danny shouted. "I don't need help! There's nothing wrong with me!"

"Daniel, he who is crazy does not believe to be crazy," Vlad said. "He who is hurt, fails to admit it. Does that mean anything to you?"

"Maybe that wasn't the best expression to use," Danny said firmly. "Because I'm not crazy. I'm not bottling up any emotions. I'm just fine."

"Maybe later you will learn to admit your flaws," Vlad said.

"That's it," Danny said standing. "I'll be in my room. Don't bother coming to check on me." Without another word, Danny stormed out the dining room, leaving Vlad alone. Vlad sighed.

* * *

"Stupid...know-it-all...I'm just fine..." Danny mumbled, walking up the stairs. He reached the top step, still mumbling to himself about how Vlad always spoke in such stupid riddles and so on. Upon reaching his room, he sighed. "I need air," he mumbled and quickly went ghost. The white ring formed at his middle, splitting in two and going up and down his body simultaneously. Within a second, he was Danny Phantom.

Danny phased through the building, going up until he reached the outside. He floated there, gazing out towards the night sky. He scanned the darkness of it, eyes looking at every star, green eyes landing on the moon. He floated down and stood on the roof, the wind rustling his hair the way some times Jazz did. He smiled and closed his eyes, imagining her voice speaking to him. Maybe he was going crazy, losing all touch with reality with every day. He opened his eyes again, sighing and sitting on the roof. Or maybe this was just not how things were supposed to be: him living with Vlad, everyone he loved dead. Maybe this is all just a dream.

* * *

E/N: It's getting a little complicated. The chapters are kinda short, but would you rather have this or a few paragraphs for each chapter? Not much action will occur, but a lot of arguing between Danny and Vlad may happen. Anyway, that's all for now, bye!

--Airamé Phantom


	5. Reason

A/N: Not much has happened I know. Boring, I know. --sigh-- Must do better!

* * *

**Chapter Five**

**Reason**

* * *

Danny had spent most of the night on the roof before sleep finally told him he should get inside. He was cold to the touch, but didn't feel a thing. Only once he was in his pajamas and beneath the blanket of his bed did he notice the change in temperature. It came as a sudden wave of heat washing over his freezing body. He shivered. "Maybe spending the night on the roof wasn't a good idea," he whispered quietly to himself, turning over onto his other side, facing the bedside table. 

Within minutes, he was fast asleep. Vlad, however, was not having much luck doing so. He was down in the lab, doing what I have no idea. "I wonder," he whispered to himself. He held something in his hand, a cylindrical container. He'd had it since they found Danny after the explosion. He didn't know what it held inside, nor what power whatever was inside had. But he was not so curious as to open the contraption. At least not yet.

* * *

Next day. Saturday. Danny awoke with a start. He bolted straight up, holding his head in his hands, eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched. The voices speaking to him, warning him, would not leave him alone. The dream came so suddenly, it had startled him awake, he noticed. He realized he'd been holding his breath and, opening his eyes slowly, let it out a smooth rush of air. His shoulders rose and feel with each pained breath he took. 

What were they warning him about? Why? More importantly, who was warning him? He hadn't recognized the voices, but they were very familiar. It wasn't Jazz, not Sam, Tucker, or his parents, not Lancer. But it was so familiar. It was actually three distinct voices. One sounded so wise, old with knowledge. The other sounded a little bit younger, maybe sounding just a bit confused or afraid. Yet another, the last voice, sounded in between, ominous and amused in an intimidating way.

He sighed deeply and got out of bed. He knew he couldn't talk to Vlad about it, but he needed to talk to someone. Anyone would do. Well, almost anyone. If only Tucker or Sam were here. They'd understand and try to help him out. But they weren't here and wouldn't be there ever again. Danny stopped dead in his tracks to the closet. That's it!

They were dead, right? Which means they're ghosts. That means they must be in the Ghost Zone! While thinking this, Danny found himself going down the stairs quickly, still in his pajamas. He jumped over the last four steps and, while turning one corner into Vlad's study, he came crashing into Vlad. He fell back, wincing slightly. "Ow," he mumbled annoyingly to himself. He suddenly stopped mumbling to himself and looked up.

"Daniel, where were you going?" Vlad asked.

"No...where," Danny answered slowly, standing up. "Nowhere that concerns you anyway." Vlad looked at him suspiciously as Danny dusted invisible dust particles from his clothes. Danny looked at him, glared really.

"Well, if you planned on going into this study," Vlad said. "Then you're out of luck. Everything's locked up and you can't get in. It is off-limits to everyone in this household." Vlad walked away calmly, whistling to himself. Danny watched him go, unmoved.

"Sure," he said. "As if it's really..." He cut his sentence short as he tried the door. He sighed. "Locked," he finished, standing there dejectedly. Vlad would have already thought of making the place ghost-proof so Danny wouldn't be able to get in even as a ghost. "Well, doesn't hurt to try." Danny quickly went ghost, hoping Vlad was dim enough to not have made his study ghost-proof. "Here goes nothing..."

He turned intangible and, surprisingly, phased right in! Danny made a 'Score!' gesture with his arm and made sure not to land on the floor. Whatever Vlad had planned should he got in Danny didn't want to find out. Besides, he was in and that's all that matters. Flying towards the fake fireplace, he phased through and went down the stairs, into Vlad's lab. The place looked super clean, obviously kept in good condition, with a few gadgets scattered here and there in random places.

"Well, it's cleaner than dad's lab," Danny mused to himself. "But still reeks of evil." He sighed and flew over to the portal. He put a hand on it. He didn't know why he did so, something just told him to. He immediately backed off, pain went shooting up his arm at quick speed, sending images into his mind. Horrible, painful memories from the explosion. Danny held his hand at the wrist, blinking suddenly and looking at the portal. Before he knew it, his eyes stung with imaginary tears. "What was that all about...?" he asked himself. He looked at the portal with great curiosity, but also with great fear. Did somehow everything turn against him? Since when did he deserve this?

"I thought I said this lab was off-limits," came the angry-sounding voice. Danny quickly whirled around only to see a figure half-hidden in the shadows. "Daniel, you must follow my rules if you are to live here," Vlad stated, walking towards him as Danny floated to the ground. He stopped in front of the boy. "What are you doing here, anyway?"

"Nothing," Danny said, looking down and away from Vlad. Vlad looked at him, eyes suspicious but knowing.

"It's best we go back up stairs," he said then, turning away from Danny.

"Hey, Vlad," Danny said then. Vlad stopped. "My dad used to have a training course in the lab. I some times used it to make sure my powers stayed intact. I know there aren't any ghosts here, so I don't want to lose control of my powers should the time come when I seriously need to use them."

Vlad didn't look at him, merely answered, "I shall see what I can do."

"Thanks," Danny said and followed shortly after Vlad, still glancing at the portal every now and then. He was still wondering why he'd gotten such images fromonly touching the portal. It wasn't even the portal he'd used for so long, it was Vlad's. Maybe it was another warning? He couldn't think of some other reason. That had to be it. But what was it warning him about? That much, he didn't and couldn't figure out.

* * *

E/N: I've got myself a plot! I've got this scene, two actually, to put in, but I've got to make up time for it so they can be evenly spaced out. Oh yeah, this is gonna be fun! I thank all of the people who have reviewed, one actually, in particular. You've delivered critique and praise. Istrive to finally get a good review for this story from you as in my other story. Rolling Stone, you don't know what's coming! Well, okay, it may not be that good, but you still have no idea! I hope you're not reading these End Notes! I feel really stupid now... 

--Airamé Phantom


	6. Everyone

A/N: I don't own the song 'Faint' by Linkin Park. It is one of the songs that inspired this story.

* * *

**Chapter Six**

**Everyone**

* * *

_"I am  
A little bit of loneliness  
A little bit of disregard  
A handful of complaints  
But I can't help the fact  
That everyone can see these scars  
__I am  
What I want you to want  
What I want you to feel  
But it's like  
No matter what I do  
I can't convince you  
To just believe this is real..."_

* * *

Danny had quickly gone into his room afterwards, trying to figure things out and clear his mind. First the dream, now this? Was everything against him all of a sudden? Next thing you know the toaster will be giving his visions. He sighed. He was sitting cross-legged on his bed, elbow resting on his knee and chin resting in the palm of that hand. Vlad had said he was going to be making some calls. Danny didn't know to who, but he had a feeling it had something to do with school. 

The last thing he wanted now was school. He didn't want to meet new friends or new teachers, or new anything. He didn't want to forget all of his friends just because their faces were going to get replaced by new ones. It just wasn't fair. "Life's not fair," he mumbled to himself suddenly. "It's tough." Then he smiled and fell back onto his bed, stretching his legs out in front of him and stretching out his arms. "Get a helmet," he told himself, closing his eyes, smiling.

Before he knew it, he'd fallen straight to sleep.

* * *

_Walking. Down a long dirt road. I don't know where I'm going, why. All I know is that this is important. All around me is barren land with randomly scattered vegetation. Everything is as still as stone and you can't even feel the wind. The whole scenery just sends shivers spiraling down every nerve in my body. It's pretty unnerving._

_Off in the distance, is someone. I can't tell who it is, why he's there. He's with two other people. Two of them are ghosts, I know it. One is holding what looks like a staff of some sort, the other is grinning with such evil behind the smile. The boy in the middle looks more confused than confident of what he's doing here. I stop suddenly. Something's wrong. _

_The sudden blast of air coming from behind me nearly made me fall. Eyes wide, I turned quickly on my heels, nearly falling in the process. But I keep my balance, leaning forward in a battle-ready stance. Then I freeze. An explosion. Voices shrieking, screaming for help. "No." The word escapes without so much as my consent._

* * *

"No!" Danny shrieked, finding himself gasping for air, fighting to breathe. He gripped the blankets tight in his hands, eyes wide, senses flaring. He gulped, looking around the room. 

"Daniel, what's wrong?" Vlad's voice asked, piercing through Danny's thoughts. He quickly turned to the older man opening the door.

"Nothing," Danny said, looking down. He blinked a couple of times before finally looking up. "It was just a dream," he said, watching as Vlad sat down beside him.

He sighed a deep, guilt-filled sigh. "Daniel," he said, pausing to search for words. "You cannot go on like this. You had a similar dream this morning, correct?"

"Well," Danny started, looking away uneasily.

"I heard you," Vlad said, sighing again. "It was almost the same as now: I'd come in to check on you, but did not want to wake you. I thought, maybe, it would simply stop on its own. That maybe it was a sort of aftershock from the explosion."

Danny sat without any movement. He sat emotionless. He decided changing the subject would be a good thing to do. "You said you'd be making a few calls," he said, still not looking at Vlad.

Vlad nodded. "Yes," he said. "I've been making a few preparations for your education. Just because you've been robbed of your friends, family does not mean you will stop your education." Danny nodded; Vlad continued. "I've even arranged a few things so that you can get some help. There's a psychiatrist at the school that I believe to be very good and understandable. She has a very good reputation."

"She?" Danny asked, his attention flicking to Vlad. One name came to mind: Penelope Spectra.

"Yes," Vlad said. "She is also a student at the school. Her name is Jennifer Robb," Vlad explained. "She is almost a graduate and she's studying to be a psychiatrist when she grows up. The school believes her standards are high enough for her to help the students there as a type of councilor."

"Like Jazz." Danny's voice was hollow, unfeeling. He was no longer looking at Vlad."She loved to study about all this psychology stuff. She wanted to be a brain surgeon you know. And Sam, I guess she knew a little bit too because she was always the voice of reasoning."

Vlad watched the boy with great sympathy as he talked about his friends and sister.

"Sam would hate it when Tucker, or even me some times, would talk as if we knew everything and when we talked without making sense. Some times..." Danny stopped, choking on his words. He took a deep breath and let out the breath in a shaky rush of air.

"Daniel," Vlad stopped him. "Maybe you should rest. We'll talk in the morning."

Danny's fists clenched. "Vlad," he breathed. Vlad stopped. He'd gotten to his feet and had started out the door when he heard Danny's plea. "Vlad, I know I'm not the easiest person," Danny said. He paused, choking on his words again. "I know I'm not the easiest person to take care of, but I just don't know what to do anymore. I feel as if everyone's watching me, pressuring me to return my life back to normal, to return to being my regular self, but...I can't. I can't help the fact that I'm like this. I know it's not alright...But I don't know what's worth fighting for anymore. Everything's gone. Everyone I've ever cared about, ever loved. You don't know how hard it is." Danny's voice was on the verge of breaking, uneven and strained. But still the tears would not come. His fists tightened and his finegrs dug deep into his palm.

Vlad didn't turn around, he couldn't. He felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew only a fraction of what Danny was feeling and he knew it couldn't, wouldn't, compare. "We'll talk in the morning," he repeated, trying hard to keep his voice even. "Good night, Daniel."

Danny only sat there, thinking.

* * *

_"So I let go  
Watching you  
Turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here  
'Cause you're all I got..."_

* * *

E/N: If any Linkin Park lovers are reading this, you may have noticed that in what Danny told Vlad he used a small line from the song "Breaking the Habit" by Linkin Park. I decided to put that, but that song was not the otehr one that inspired this story. I just thought it would fit. Hope you liked this chapter. I know it was short, but I'm trying my best! 

--Airamé Phantom


	7. Is Anyone Really Listening?

A/N: I don't own the song 'Faint' by Linkin Park. It is one of the songs that inspired this story.

* * *

**Chapter Seven**

**Is Anyone Really Listening?**

* * *

_"I am  
A little bit insecure  
A little unconfident  
'Cause you don't understand  
I do what I can  
But sometimes I don't make sense  
I am  
What you never want to say  
But I've never had a doubt  
It's like no matter what I do  
I can't convince you  
For once just to hear me out..._

* * *

The next day, Sunday, was not very different from the day before. It was a rather slow day if you ask me. Nothing significant happened. Danny spent most of his time on the roof, thinking, imagining, dreaming, while Vlad spent his time making more phone calls, confirming every arrangement he'd made. Danny only came down to eat and then was back on the roof. He almost spent the night there, but was forced to come down when Vlad went up to get him. The next day would be his first day of school here, and he needed to be well rested.

* * *

_"So I let go  
Watching you  
Turn your back like you always do  
Face away and pretend that I'm not  
But I'll be here  
'Cause you're all I got."_

_

* * *

_

Next day. Monday. First day of school. Danny was awakened early the next morning so he wouldn't be late for school. He took a shower, changed, brushed his teeth, and didn't bother with breakfast. Getting his backpack _**- **_filled with the books he would need, a pen and pencil, and so on - he quickly walked out the door to where Vlad was waiting for him.

"Ready?" Vlad asked once he saw Danny.

Danny sighed and nodded. "As ready as I'll ever be," he said dryly. "Let's just go."

He walked past Vlad to the car - limo - and climbed in. Vlad climbed in shortly afterwards. The drive to Madison East High School was slow and unnerving. It was only a ten-minute drive there, but to Danny it seemed ages. As they passed by, he could see it was a big school. It was four stories high, made of brick. Outside of it was a lawn with some students hanging around on it. He spotted many types of people. Goths, jocks, the works. They all mixed together in a way he'd never seen. But of course, every person bullied the lower 'class' of the student class system. Danny watched in awe at it.

The driver of the limo stopped in front of the school. "You're not gonna make me go there, are you?" he asked towards Vlad.

"I've explained to you before," Vlad said. "Your education is very important."

"Yeah, but..." Danny started, then turned back to look out the window.

"School lets out at three," Vlad said. "Try to make friends."

Danny gulped quietly and opened the door, stepped out, closed the door behind him, and stood there. The car pulled away, leaving him with the crowd of students whose whispers still sprung around about the new kid who was 'rich'. Danny's glanced fell. So this was his new image, huh? The new rich kid. Already he was making a few enemies.

Sighing he walked forward. He had his schedule in his hand along with the book the students were supposed to be reading. He'd started it the day before and was almost done. It wasn't very long, and was really good. The book was called I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. He only had about four chapters left to read.

He looked at his schedule. Science, History, Math, Art Appreciation, lunch, Gym, English. The classic arrangement of classes. He came upon the steps of the school and walked through the doors. His locker number was 742, combination 6-8-38. He wanted to get all of his things in there before his shoulders lost circulation. The problem? Where was locker number 742?

He stood at the beginning of the hall, looking down at the rows of lockers. "And I thought this couldn't get any worst," he mumbled to himself. Then someone coming from behind him pushed him to one side. Caught off-guard, Danny stumbled and fell against the wall, just barely able to stay on his feet. His books dropped at the new teen's feet. "Watch it, loser," the voice said. Danny felt his anger flare as he glared at the teen. The guy was big and bulky, an obvious jock. He had short, tightly cut reddish hair. His eyes were a steel-gray color. His jacket was decorated with the colors of the school: gold, black, and purple. Danny tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack as he bent forward to pick up his books. The jock walked around him as Danny got back up.

He shook his head and continued on his way, surveying all the lockers. This was going to be a very long day.

* * *

Danny found his locker soon afterwards, and so started the school day. First period: Science. It shouldn't be too hard to deal with. 

He entered the classroom about three minutes after the bell rang for class. He looked at all the students as they quickly quieted down. Most of them stared, other whispered. Rumors already? Wow, he must be famous by now.

"You must be our new student," one voice said. He looked in front of him and nearly fell as he came face-to-face with his teacher. So this was Ms. Russell. "Daniel Fenton, right?"

"Danny," he said. "Call me Danny. That's what my dad used to call me."

"Okay, well, Danny, welcome to East High. I'm Ms. Russell. Please, tell us about yourself. A few words?"

"I'm from Amity Park. My old school was called Casper High."

"Any brothers or sisters?"

"No. Well, Jazz, but she sorta left. Haven't seen her in awhile. It just slipped my mind."

"Oh," Ms. Russell said. "Well, please, take a seat, we'll begin shortly after everyone is seated. I hope you'll enjoy being here."

Danny nodded and took a seat in front of a girl. She had glasses, long brown hair held in a pony-tail held loosely by a black band. She looked very serious, very quiet. Not a single warming look crossed her dark brown eyes. Danny didn't seem to notice He didn't seem to notice anyone's stare at all. Only the teacher's voice could penetrate his thoughts in a quiet echo.

The last bell rang and class began.

* * *

_"I can't feel  
The way I did before  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored  
Time won't heal  
This damage anymore  
Don't turn your back on me  
I won't be ignored_

_No  
Hear me out now  
You're gonna listen to me  
Like it or not  
Right now"_

* * *

Lunch soon came. Danny was introduced to all of his classmates and his teachers amde him feel welcomed. But the same face kept its stone cold gaze on him. He tried to pay no attention to it, but couldn't. She was just so...strange. Worst yet, she was in every single one of his classes. 

Well, with lunch came his session with Dr. Robb, his new student psychiatrist. His last teacher wouldn't let him forget it. He'd gotten directions on how to get there and found the place on the third floor, over seeing the front lawn of the school. Danny knocked on the door.

"Come in," the voice came.

Danny opened the door and entered. The place was small, average temperature: not cold, not too hot. Almost the temperature of a cloudy day. The lights were very dim. Near the door it was almost dark, but in the center of the room it was brighter. The girl herself was average too. She had short blond hair and cheery blue eyes that seemed to almost smile. She stood. "Hi," she said. "You must be Danny." She extended a hand towards him.

"You're Jennifer?" he asked. She nodded. He reached for her hand, shook it.

"Please, take a seat," she said. "So, what can I do for you?"

Danny sat down in the chair in front of Jennifer's desk and shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "Vlad only signed me up for this because he thinks I've got problems."

Jennifer looked at him. "Why does he think so?" she asked. "Do you give him a reason to think so?"

"I don't know," Danny said, thinking. "He thinks I'm bottling up emotions or something."

"Oh," Jennifer said. "Say, you're new here, aren't you?" Danny nodded. "Well, maybe it's because you moved. Why did you move?" Danny only looked at her with a look that said 'You don't wanna know.' Jennifer shifted in her seat. She cleared her throat. "Wanna talk about it? Maybe I can help."

"I've told this to Vlad," Danny said, sighing and slumping slightly in his chair. "I don't need help. I'm just fine."

"Everyone needs help," Jennifer said. "Surely you want to talk about it, get it off your chest? But no pressure of course."

"Pressure," Danny echoed. "You have no idea what kind of pressure I feel. Vlad puts me under it without even knowing it. It's like everything I say goes in one ear and out the other. Like he's not even listening. I think he just doesn't want to listen to me."

"I'll listen, Danny," Jennifer said fondly.

"Sure," Danny said. "It's your job. How can you help me?"

"Some people say listening is all a heart needs when under pressure," Jennifer said. "What do you think?"

"It's a bunch of crap," Danny said. Jennifer's eyes shifted quickly to her desk, then back to him, and she shifted in her seat again.

"I'm sure it may take a while for you to finally trust me," Jennifer said. "With your problems, but I'm always here, Danny, for whatever. From help on homework to help with issues at home or within your family."

"Are you listening to me now?" Danny asked.

"What do you mean?"

"To what I'm saying? I said I don't have any problems within my family."

"Denial is the first step to recovery. If you can trust me, I can help. Trust is gained, not born with."

Danny stood. This was her method? Trying to get her 'patient' to trust her? To make them feel comfortable with all these sayings of hers? "Just where do you get all this crap from? The Internet? I'm not in denial. I don't have problems within my family. I don't _have_ a family to have problems with!"

Jennifer froze. No family?

"They died," Danny said. His shoulders slumped, his face fell, fingers uncurled from the fists they'd become. He sat back down. "I lost it all. My two best friends, my sister, parents. Even one of my teachers. Pretty ironic, isn't it?"

Jennifer cleared her throat. "What_**-**_" she choked one her words, twiddling her thumbs nervously. "What is, Danny?"

"I've always tried to help," Danny said. "I've always tried to be the hero. Yet I became a monster trying to help those I care about. Irony, the key word."

"I_**-**_I don't understand," Jennifer said, eyes shifting rapidly.

Danny smiled, then looked at the clock. His twenty minute session was up. He stood and grabbed his backpack, slung it around one shoulder. "Is anybody listening?" he asked, but didn't wait for an answer. "I'll see you later." He walked to the door, opened it and exited the room.

Jennifer blinked. This guy was almost crazy. No family, huh. It must be hard. But what did he mean by becoming a monster? What did he mean by all that he said? Why did he make her feel so uncomfortable? No teen had ever made her feel like this. Like if she were on the verge of seeing some catastrophic. she cleared her throat and watched as Danny closed the door behind him. She quickly grabbed a pencil and a sheet of paper from her desk and began to write.

Then someone knocked on the door. "Yes, come in," she called, her voice strained to remain even. The door opened. Jennifer looked up. A girl stood there. Her dark brown eyes watched Jennifer closely. The eyes of a preying hawk. In her hand a small notepad. A pencil cleverly place behind one ear.

"How can I help you?" Jennifer asked, putting down the pencil.

"That boy," she said. Her voice sounded very intellectual, emotionless, cold. "Danny, correct? He came from Amity Park, family died in an explosion? What do you know about him?"

"I'm sorry," Jennifer said. "But the information I receive is highly confidential."

The girl nodded. "I see," she said. "Thanks anyway. I'll be seeing you. I've got to check some...sources."

"Okay," Jennifer mumbled and watched the girl leave.

* * *

E/N: I know this chapter must have been boring. But don't worry! I've got big plans! Well, almost big anyway. It'll be a little simple until the end of the week. As for the girl I described, let's just say she'll play a part in the plot. Hehehehe, I'm such a loser! You'll find out, especially Axel, in the chapter why I'm a loser! Also, whoever tells me what the girl does, or what her 'class' in school society consists of, will be mentioned next chapter! 

--Airamé Phantom


	8. Factual

A/N: I couldn't help but up-date. You'll finally learn why I'm such a loser! Here goes!

* * *

**Chapter Eight**

**Factual**

* * *

The last twenty minutes of lunch seemed to last a lifetime for Danny. But for a certain girl, it seemed to speed by too fast. She needed to do a lot of research and get it done in the next twenty minutes or the bell schedule would catch up to her. She rounded another corner of a hallway and stepped towards the door labeled: School Records. Then beneath that it said: No Students Allowed. She grinned, but it quickly faded as she heard someone inside walk to the door. What day was it today? Monday. Great, Principal Alan Harris was in the records room today filing in any new students. Mainly being her new subject: Danny Fenton. She quickly ducked into the other hall. 

She watched as the principal, a man with a short, tightly-cut brown hair, a crooked-tooth smile, and a black suit to match the opposite of his happy mood this day, opened the door whistling a small, tuneless note, and closed the door behind him. Glad for her soft-sole shoes, the girl hastily walked over to the door and, grabbing the pencil from her ear, inserted it between the door and door frame to keep it from automatically locking. The principal, going the direction opposite the one she'd come from, didn't notice a thing. He rounded a corner, then disappeared.

The girl sighed with relief and entered the room, quickly reaching the computer and taking a seat. "Okay," she mumbled, replacing her pencil back behind her ear. "Let's see what you can tell me." She typed in a few things, and was rewarded with information. A smile crossed her lips. "Perfect," she said. "Now all I need to do is-"

She was cut short by the sound of the door knob turning. "Oh shit," she mumbled. She turned back to the computer and minimized every window on the screen, putting it on stand-by mode. Turning off the monitor, she stood, put the chair in its place and hid in the shadows of one corner. Surely no one would see her. I mean, the lights were off and she was wearing her signature black T-shirt that said MESA in white letters and JR MESA DAY (a) UCLA in orange letters on the right corner of it. And her jeans were dark blue. If she hid well and whoever it was didn't turn on the lights, she would be almost invisible.

She watched as a small amount of light filled the room from the outside. She was sitting in the corner against a filing cabinet. The light didn't manage to get all the way over there. She held her breath and her principal walked in and grabbed something he'd forgotten next to the computer Monitor. "There we go," he said, smiling. Then he turned tail and walked back outside the room.

The girl let her breath out slowly. "That was close," she muttered annoyingly, then stood. "Research done on the computer, now the filing cabinet." She turned to the filing cabinet drawers and opened the second one. The folders were in alphabetical order from E-H. "Fenton, Fenton, Fenton, ah, here we go." She took out the folder and flipped through it. She took the folder and went back to the computer. She sat down and picked out the most vital information from the folder and, keeping it in order, one by one made a copy of it with the scanner/printer. She also printed out the stuff from the school records she found interesting.

If she could find and surf the net for his last school's school site, then she'd have enough information to add to her student files at home. A good reporter needs their sources. She grinned as the papers slowly were printed from the scanner. Good sources.

* * *

She walked out of the records room, a new folder in hand, then began to walk down the hall. She was reading over a couple of papers when out of nowhere someone bumped into her. Her papers were scattered all over, luckily, the most vital facing down. "Ack!" she exclaimed. "Watch it will you, stu-" she stopped, looking at the student. She sighed 

"Sorry, sheesh," the guy said. "You could be a little more good-natured you know."

"Yeah, yeah," she said, helping him help her pick up the papers. The boy wore a green squared button up shirt with red lines running down and across itthat was open revealing a white T-shirt. His blue jeans had grass stains at the knee from playing soccer. He had short, spiky black hair and a pale-colored face. His name? Pablo Dominguez.

"So, you doing research again?" he asked. The girl only grunted in response.

"None of your business, Dominguez," she said.

"Of course it is," he said. Listen, I'm the second leading journalist, Dulce, I deserve a little recognition."

"You listen to me," she said. "You're pure competition. Your stories have been following mine on the second page of the school newspaper three weeks in a row. That is unacceptable. I haven't had hard-core competition in years since my elementary-school publication of the _News Weekly_. I'm not about to start. And don't call me by my first name, it's not very professional, Dominguez."

"Afraid I might surpass you?" Pablo asked teasingly, handing her the papers. Dulce scowled at him.

"Not even close," she said. She stood, as did he. "Thanks."

"No problem," he said. "Listen, a little friendly competition hurt anyone. You're a tough, factual writer, but I think you should lighten up a little bit."

"You're a second-best, _not_-so-factual writer. I think you should _toughen_ up," Dulce shot back, putting all the papers back in the folder. "Thanks for the compliment by the way. See you after school."

"Uh, wait, Dulce!" Pablo called as she began to walk away. He sighed when she didn't even turn back. "Great," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair. He sighed and continued on his way to see Jennifer. She's his cousin, and that's how he got his first article for the school newspaper in the leading role behind Dulce's. He's been getting that same role for a few weeks now. Obviously she was keeping count. Three weeks, apparently.

* * *

E/N: Kinda short and creepy, even for me! Hehehehe. Now now you see why I'm such a loser? 

Also, if anyone who's reading this actually goes to Madison East High, I would seriously appreciate it if you can inform me of anything that I'm doing wrong. I only know about the principal, what the school looks like, and the school colors from the Internet. I don't have all the facts. Thanks for reading, later!

--Airamé Phantom


	9. Mess

A/N: This chapter won't be very exciting, but I needed a new character to add, so ehre goes. And I'm really sorry Danny is so OOC, but I don't know what to do with him anymore. I know what I want to do with the plot and everything, but how to make him react I'm still a little fuzzy on.

* * *

**Chapter Nine**

**Mess**

* * *

The rest of the school day went by quickly. Soon enough, Danny was in last period and the bell was ringing for the end of school. He stood, grabbed his backpack and exited the classroom with his classmates. He walked down the halls and outside, looking around for the limo Vlad always seemed to be picking people up in. Why couldn't he just buy a compact vehicle like normal people? Did it have to be a limo? It was just so weird to be picked up at a public school in a limo. He sighed as his eyes landed on the gleaming black care - limo - near the front of the school. 

He walked down the steps of the school and towards it. He opened the door, recognizing the chauffeur, and climbed in. Vlad wasn't there. "Good afternoon, Mr. Fenton," the man said.

"Hey," Danny replied. "Where's Vlad?"

"He said he had things to do," the man replied as he maneuvered his way through the build up of traffic as parents came to pick up their children.

Danny said no more. Vlad was busy? That was definitely new. He sighed and watched as the school passed by, along with many other buildings as the ten-minute drive back to the castle flashed by like a movie before Danny's eyes.

* * *

The first day of school and already Danny had homework. He hadn't seen Vlad at all, and when he asked the butler about it, he only replied that he was down in the lab working on something. Danny didn't ask anything else. He thought maybe he didn't want to know. And if it was important then, then Vlad would surely tell him sooner or later. It was only logical he would. 

Danny's time was taken up on his homework. He had math homework, science homework, man, too much in one day was really tiring. Danny sighed and slumped in his chair, finally finishing the last assignment. "Too much homework equals a head ache," he mumbled. "Wow, this math stuff is so easy!" He laughed at his warped, sick joke, then stopped at the sound of a knock on the door. He stood, looked at the clock and new immediately what was going on now. 8 sharp: dinner. He wasn't very hungry today.

"Daniel, dinner is served," the butler called.

"I'm not coming down, too much homework," he shouted at the door.

"But-"

"Not coming down," Danny repeated. "I don't feel very well, and homework's just making things worst. Tell Vlad I'm sorry, but I'm just not hungry today."

"As you wish, sir," the butler said and retreated from the door. Danny sighed and stretched. Lying to Vlad was so easy. He never trespassed into his room. Well, not unless he has a reason to. So leaving the place alone wasn't much of a problem. Danny went ghost and phased through the ceiling. He was happy to not have some argument between him and Vlad to think about that day. As a matter of fact, he hadn't even talked to him in awhile.

Danny landed on the roof and stood there, looking out over the area. Around Vlad's castle was mostly a wood-like region. It was simple, yet so calming, Danny loved to be up there. "Sometimes I can't help but wonder," he spoke into the air. "If someone or something could have stopped that explosion. I can't help but think maybe there really is someone out there who could have helped make things different, better." He thought back to the last time he'd tried to talk to Vlad. It hadn't worked. "Then other times," he spoke again. "I just wonder if anyone's really listening to what I'm really saying. Jennifer is like a hard-headed psychologist. She wants to think everything's okay and makes her patients think so too. I'm not that easy."

"You're not. You're a stubborn teenager who talks to himself," came the familiar voice. Danny didn't stir.

"How long have you been standing there?" he asked.

"Long enough," Vlad said. "Beautiful, isn't it?" He came to stand next to Danny.

"Beautiful, no, claming yes," Danny said.

"You did not come down to eat," Vlad said.

"Wasn't hungry."

"So, seeing Jennifer is not helping?"

"Not really," Danny sighed.

"Maybe we should go back inside," Vlad said. "It's going to be a rather cold night and I don't want you standing out here all night," Vlad said. Danny sighed, took one last look out into the scenery and phased back inside after Vlad.

* * *

Next Day. Tuesday. East High, morning. Everyone in the Journalism club always arrived at school early on Tuesdays because that's when their _East High Weekly News. _Don't ask why it's printed on Tuesday, it just is. Dulce was usually there by seven when the school doors barely opened to the students. Only staff was allowed on campus before seven o'clock. But today she had been a little detoured that morning and made it there about fifteen minutes after seven. She was at her locker, putting away some things and taking out others when- 

"Dulce, quick!" came the familiar voice. Dulce didn't bother turning.

"What?" she asked the boy coming towards her. Pablo, wearing a similar red squared button-up shirt with green stripes and a white T-shirt under and blue jeans, sounded a little panicked.

"We need your help!" he said. Dulce slammed her locker shut and looked at him.

"With?" she asked.

"Someone erased all our files! If we don't get the newspapers printing by seven-thirty, they won't be out 'til tomorrow! We'll get behind schedule and you know how hard it is to get back _**on** _schedule!"

Dulce didn't respond. She merely started towards the Journalism class, walking with quick, long strides. "Is everyone here already?" she asked once Pablo had caught up with her. They rounded a corner and came into the hall that had the classroom in line.

"Yeah," he replied. "Everyone's here. They're trying to get every file back and we've got Tania trying to figure out what went wrong."

"Tania? Oh please, she'll make things worst," Dulce said. "Just get everyone and everything in order and we'll have it done, trust me."

They entered the classroom and both stared in horror at the mess. Papers everywhere, people frantically clicking away on their computers, shouts going across the room. Dulce's jaw dropped. She looked at Pablo. He grinned sheepishly and shrugged with a look that said, 'told you it was a mess.'

She scowled and turned back to the mess of a room. "Everyone calm down!" she said, entering.

"We can't get the files back," one student wailed.

"Write it over," Dulce replied.The studentlooked troubled, but began to type overthe report. Dulce walked over to every booth of the classroom and went about asking questions and giving orders. "Pablo, go and find Ms. Web. Tell her we may be late." Pablo nodded and exited the classroom in a run. "Tania, stop fiddling with that darn main computer and get your report written! And everyone, get this place cleaned up!" In seconds people were sitting at their computers, sounds of the keys from the keyboard clicking loudly and rhythmically.

"Dulce, I think I can get the files back," Tania walked up to the girl shouting orders. Dulce glared at her.

"Do you wanna get this done or waste time?" she asked harshly.

Tania was third in-command to Dulce after Pablo. She had black hair that reached just past her shouldersand was always let loose. She wore a white blouse and blue pants, kind of like an elementary school uniform. She backed down and went to her computer. Dulce went to her own computer and began to type her file over. This was one big mess she was not about to be responsible for. If anything, she was going to try to get things back in order.

* * *

E/N: Hoped you liked it. And trust me, this is only the beginning to the mishaps in Journalism Club. 

--Airamé Phantom


	10. Other Line

A/N: No offense taken on the OOC comment. Anyway, on with the chapter! I don't own 'SOS' by Good Charlotte. This is the other song that inspired this story.

* * *

**Chapter Ten**

**Other Line**

* * *

_"Is anybody listening?  
Can they hear me when I call?  
Shooting signals in the air  
'Cause I need somebody's help  
I can't make it on my own  
So I'm giving up myself  
Is anybody listening  
Listening..."_

* * *

Lunch time. Danny sat in Jennifer's office again, gaze downcast, listening to her try to get him to talk. He sighed. 

"Danny, I know it's not easy to trust me, but can you at least try?" she asked him. It was more of a plea. He didn't respond. She was just so persistent on getting him to talk. "I'm sure I can help, but I only know so much of what you're going through. Danny, are you listening?"

"Yes, I'm still listening," Danny mumbled. He felt like just walking out from that room and never returning, but he knew she wouldn't give up even then. She would find a way to keep pestering him.

"Are you really?" she asked. She was starting to get him annoyed.

"If I'm still awake," Danny said, as if the answer was obvious.

"Danny, please," she said. "You know, some times I think you're just blocking everyone out because you don't know how to deal with them."

"Like now, for instance?" Danny asked, half-conscious of what he was saying. "I'm trying to figure out how to make you stop talking to me as if I'm a little kid. Somehow, blocking you out isn't working."

Jennifer grimaced slightly. She coughed. Totally fake. "Danny, can you tell me about the explosion?" she asked. This snapped Danny into attention. He looked at her, shocked. Jennnifer smiled inwardly at the fact that she'd gotten his attention. "The one that killed your family?"

"How...how did you know it was an explosion? I never told you that," he said, voice sounding so small, almost fragile.

"I heard it from somebody," Jennifer said truthfully. "So, how did it happen? What caused the explosion?"

"You wouldn't understand," Danny said.

"It won't hurt to try," Jennifer said. "I can try to understand you, Danny, please tell me."

"I can't," Danny said.

"Why not?"

"It's not for everyone's ears, and I don't want you to be afraid."

"Danny, you're not making sense. Why would I be afraid?"

"I told you you wouldn't understand."

"I can keep a secret, Danny," Jennifer prodded. She looked at the boy in a fond manner. He looked so vulnerable now, so small. Almost like a child. But she knew he wasn't a child. He was a teenager fighting through a never-ending battle he wouldn't let anyone else help him with. All these mood-swings he has are just signs that he really needs help. The least she could do, she decided, was try to get him to share with her what he's going through.

"It's a long story," Danny finally said. "And I don't want to tell you anyway. It's too complicated."

"Try to tell me at least," Jennifer said. She'd gotten far enough to make him seem as if he would tell her, she wasn't about to stop pressing for information just yet. "I'll do my best to understand. Just have faith, will you? You seem as if you've lost all hope."

"Hope is irrelevant," Danny answered firmly. "Faith is nothing but deceit."

"Do you really think that?"

"Does it matter?" Danny asked, rubbing his eyes as if he was getting really impatient, which he was.

"Actually, yes it does," Jennifer said. "Most psychology books-"

"Time's up!" Danny quickly said. The minute she'd began to say the word 'psychology', he'd taken a look at the clock. Jennifer already reminded him a little bit of Jazz, the last thing he needed was for her to talk like Jazz too. Big no-no. Jennifer looked startled. "Twenty minutes are up. I'll see you tomorrow," Danny said, standing and taking his backpack.

"But-" Jennifer sighed as the door closed quickly behind the departed Danny Fenton. Great, another session gone to waste.

Danny, now walking over to the lunch area, sighed with relief. Another session done and over with. Now all he needed was an unrelenting disguise to keep Jennifer off his back for awhile.

* * *

Meanwhile, off in Journalism Club, the crew was hard at work. Their newspaper had gotten written and printed that morning, but Dulce wanted to find out what the problem was. The crew captains - her, Tania, Pablo, and another boy named Junior - stood watching around the main computer as Dulce tried to find out what went wrong. 

"Someone must have deleted the files," she finally surmised.

"Why?" Pablo asked.

"More importantly, how?" Junior added. Junior was a smart kid. He always wore blue jeans and a green shirt to match his stunning green eyes. He had at least seven different green shirts, each with a different logo on the front. Today he wore the one that said 'I'm Smart. You're Not.'

"I don't know," Dulce said. "But I have a feeling it has something to do with this." She clicked open an e-mail that was saved on the computer's hard-drive. "Every e-mail sent from this computer to another, or any e-mail received is saved on this file. You can't tell who sent or received it, but we can already be sure someone with the password did it. It looks like a virus. Someone wanted to erase the files so they sent it to the main computer where someone was bound to open the message and activate the virus."

"So who was it?" Pablo asked. Tania hadn't said a word, she'd merely watched throughout the whole thing.

"Only we have the password to be able to check the e-mail," Ducle said, turning in the swivel chair so she was looking at all three of them. Her hawk-eyed gaze swept over them. Each kept a straight face except for Tania.

"Maybe a hacker?" Junior asked.

"Or maybe someone that was too naïve to think of the consequences of opening an e-mail that was said to be 'Super_ Importante_'?" Dulce's gaze landed on Tania who was fiddling nervously with the hem of her shirt and tapping her foot lightly on the floor. "What do you think, Miss Moreno?"

"I really don't know," she said. Pablo and Junior looked at her.

"It was your fault?" Junior asked in disbelief.

"No," Tania said.

"Admit it, Moreno, it was you," Dulce insisted. "I know a liar when I see one, trust me, nothing gets past me."

"I..." Tania started, but didn't go on.

"We got the paper printed, no worries," Pablo assured. Dulce rolled her eyes at his remark. "Besides, it's really no big deal. It was a small mistake and won't happen again, right?"

Tania nodded. "Fine," Dulce said and stood. "But make sure of it, Miss Moreno. I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to be kicked out of this club." With that said, she walked out the room, leaving the two boys and girl to talk.

She walked down the hall, and came upon a rather relieved looking boy. Danny Fenton. He was walking down the hall in the direction she was going. He was probably coming from seeing Jennifer. She didn't bother with him. She would talk to him another time. Zooming past him in her normal fast-paced strides, it looked almost as if she didn't even notice him there. She heard him stop walking, probably wondering why she looked a little mad, but soon she could hear his foot-steps again as she rounded another corner. Something about him really ticked her off. She'd never really talked to him, it was just something about the way he talked when she would hear him in class, or the way he acted.

* * *

After school. Rios Residence. Dulce was in her room, wondering what she would write her next article on. She was sitting on her computer chair, reading over Danny's file again. After all the research she'd done, she still wasn't satisfied. She was missing something, she knew it. The door bell caught her attention. Sighing, she stood and walked out her room and towards the door. 

She reached for the knob and turned it, opening the door. She stifled a gasp. "Miss Moreno," she mumbled almost incoherently. "What are you doing here?"

Tania sighed and looked at her. "I wanted to apologize. If it weren't for me, we wouldn't have had to write all of our reports over this morning. I promise it won't happen again."

Dulce took a moment to say anything, but finally stepped aside. "Apology accepted," she said. "Wanna come in?"

"Thanks," Tania said and stepped into the house. It was one story, two rooms - one for Dulce, the other for her parents - a kitchen, living room, bathroom.

"My parents aren't home," Ducle said, closing the door. "You can go to my room, my mom wants the livingroom spotless. It's the first door to the right."

"Alright," Tania said and entered Dulce's room shortly afterwards. It wasn't that great, a little too plain, but could definitely due as your own room. The walls were white. A computer desk and chair rested on one side of the room. A bed was on the other, and what seemed like another desk with paints, paint brushes, crayons, and color pencils at yet the third wall. But Tania's eyes landed on the file neatly placed on the computer desk. "Hmm..." she mumbled, walking over and placing a hand on the folder. "What's this?"

"Are you-" Dulce's voice penetrated the room's silence. Tania quickly turned to her. Dulce had paused at seeing her near her desk, but ignored it. "Are you gonna want anything to drink? Juice, soda?"

"Soda's good," Tania said.

"Coke or sprite?"

"Coke."

"Alright," Ducle said. "Don't touch anything." She walked back into the kitchen and out of sight. Tania turned back to the folder and peered inside. A photo of the new boy at school. What looked like a scan of a past report card, some records including past school, city, and so on.

"She's been doing research," Tania noted. "Kinda creepy." She read over the last page, a hand-written one, and furrowed her eyebrows at it.

_'Further information needed. Something's missing. Make note of keeping an eye on Fenton.'_

"Like a secret?" she asked herself, then put the folder down.

"Here," Dulce said, coming into the room with a can of coke in her hand. Tania turned to her. Dulce tossed her the can, Tania caught it. "So," Dulce said, sitting down on her swivel computer chair. "Why did you come all the way over here instead of just saying that at school?"

"Oh, I don't know, just an impulse," Tania said, opening the can of coke and sipping from it. "Say, what's with that folder? Looks important."

"It's nothing," Dulce said, taking the folder and putting it in the drawer of her desk.

"Okay," Tania mumbled, not convinced. "Well, I just came to tell you that, and well, I promise not to do that again."

"I'll see to it you don't," Dulce said. "I'm changing the password to the main computer."

"What?"

"Changing. The. Password."

"But why?"

"We can't have people sending viruses into our systems. I'm already working on a type of fire wall to keep it from happening again, but it won't be of much use unless we all don't open e-mails like that."

"I said I was sorry," Tania stated.

"And I know you are, but I just don't know what else to do. I'm sorry."

Tania sighed, looking as if she wanted to continue to object, but said no more. "Okay, well, I only came by to say sorry, see you tomorrow."

"Uhm, okay," Dulce said. "I'll see you out." She stood.

"No, it's okay, I know the way out," Tania said. "Bye." She quickly exited the room. Dulce watched her go, confused and a little bit bewildered.

* * *

Outside, Tania quickly walked down the block and rounded the corner, all the while taking out her cell phone. She dialed in a few numbers, then waited. One ring. Two. She hung up. That was the signal. And who should be waiting on the other line?

* * *

E/N: Told you it would get a little more interesting. Who, indeed, was waiting on the other line? Something to think about. Plus, I think the other chapters will lead more and more into the dark, be-a-u-ti-ful plot. Okay, it's not dark, and it's not beautiful, but who cares? As long as it has a plot and it's interesting. That's my motto. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other things to up-date! Oh, and I couldn't run a full spell-check on this chapter. Sorry for any mistakes! 

--Airamé Phantom


	11. My Dissection

A/N: This chapter starts the time Danny got picked up from school. On with the chapter! I don't own 'SOS' by Good Charlotte. This is the other song that inspired this story.

* * *

**Chapter Eleven**

**My Dissection**

* * *

_"I've been stranded here and I'm miles away  
Making signals hoping they'd save me  
I lock myself inside these walls  
'Cause out there I'm always wrong  
I don't think I'm gonna make it  
So while I'm sitting here  
On the eve of my defeat  
I'll write this letter and hope it saves me..."_

_

* * *

_

Danny got out the limo that picked him up from school, and climbed the steps of the porch to the door. He opened it, then immediately put a hand over his mouth and nose. "Ugh!" he shouted. He noticed Vlad sitting on the couch. He walked over to him. Vlad looked tired, exhausted, and every other synonym I can't remember. "What is that smell? Smoke?"

"Lab," Vlad answered simply. "A simple explosion. I couldn't see a thing with all the smoke. The smell has yet to leave."

Danny looked at Vlad. "How long have you been working in the lab?" he asked, genuinely confused and concerned. He hadn't thought he could ever feel concerned about Vlad. The man had taken him in, he had to be grateful.

"Not long," Vlad said.

"What caused the explosion?" Danny asked.

"It's of no importance," Vlad said. He was hiding something, Danny could tell. Something happened that Vlad didn't want to tell him about, but what? "By the way, Daniel, this came for you in the mail." Vlad reached over to a white envelope sitting on the coffee table in front of him and held it out towards Danny. Danny hesitated. The handwriting on the front of the envelope looked painfully familiar. He took the letter, ahdn trembling with fear of who it may be from.

"From Val?" he asked, vocie quiet, barely a whisper. He'd thought he'd left his past behind. But ehre it was again, hitting him in the face again. He had wanted to move far away from Amity Park, ebcause out there, everything always went wrong. He was always wrong. Now here he was, in Madison, Wisconsin, about to break the lock and open the door back into the world he'd hoped to escape.

"Seems so," Vlad said, analyzing the boy's reaction with great interest.

Danny stood rooted to his spot, not answering. "I'll be upsatirs," he said then, swiftly moving across the floor to the stairs. "I won't be coming down for dinner either. Lost my apetite for anything." Vlad said no more, only watched as Danny disappeared upstairs and into the hall to his room. He sighed. Maybe he should tell him...maybe he shouldn't.

* * *

Danny opened the door to his room and went to sit down on his computer chair. He didn't open the letter yet, only stared at the envelope. What would Valerie possibly have written in the letter? And why did it seem as if the letter gave him such grief he thought it was Valerie's own sadness? He'd been a little mean to ehr the last time they talked, he would be ashamed of himself if she were to write something so painfully kind to him when he didn't deserve it. 

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and opened the letter, tearing the side of the envelope. He opened his eyes andtook out the paper, sliding it out carefully, as if afraid to damage Valerie's very words. Setting the envelope on the desk in front of him, he looked at th folded letter. Did he really want to read it? A part of him told him he must. But another told him he didn't want to. His fingers finally opened the letter, reading the first few lines.

_Dear Danny,_

_Hey, it's me, Valerie. I guess you probably weren't expecting this, but I haven't heard from you in awhile. I miss you, I guess. It hasn't been the same at shcool without you. You probably just want us to leave you alone so you can try to start over again in Madison, but even I need someone to talk to some times. Besides, we've had a lot of changes going on since you left. Hope you liek what a few students, your classmates, wrote._

Danny's eyes widened. He hadn't noticed that the space left on the paper was adorned by many different styles of writing. He saw a few names he knew immediately, others he hadn't heard of since middle school.He saw a message from Dash, Kwan, Paulina, Mikey and Star.But each message was almost the same. Dash wrote about how much he missed wailing on him everday, big whoop. Paulina and Star wrote about how awkward things ahd gotten over the past few days since he left. Even Kwan ahd something to say. He wrote about how the A-list was falling apart from not having anything to talk about during lunch. He also wrote on how a couple of monuments were being built to remember his family and friends, and Lancer. Another thing he caught was that Kwan stated that they were rebuilding the Nasty Burger, in hopes of bringing back some normailty to the city.

Danny ignored that and continued on to read the notes from some of his teacher. Every single one was almost the same. They told him to not let anything interfere with his studies, and that they were sorry for what happened. Maybe it wasn't so abd having someone to talk to. Even if they were from his past. He sighed. He felt compelled to write back.

Grabbing his backpack, he pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen and began to write.

* * *

Next day. Wednesday. School. Danny yawned. He was sitting in first period science, hoping to get this over-with soon. The teacher was explaining to them about the digestive system of a cat. They were to dissect one soon enough. She'd asked him about a dozen times already if he was up to it. He'd merely nodded and let her continue with her lesson. It was only ten minutes into class, and Ms. Russell had already covered every detail. 

"Okay," she said, finally finished with everything she had to explain. She looked out at the class. Everyone was wearing a black dissection apron, and had a scalpel, pincers, and pins on their desks along with a pair of goggles for each student. They were suited up looking like, as Ms. Russell would say, super scientists. "Are you sure you're up to this, Danny?' she asked again.

"Yes," he said, rubbing his eyes. She nodded and went back into the storage part of the room where the carcasses were located. All the students looked towards that way to see the bodies. Danny didn't stir. How could they be so excited about opening an innocent animal? The teacher had told them time and time again that these particular animals were raised for dissection and were killed for that reason, but it disgusted him still. Then again, he didn't want to be the only squeamish kid in the class. Besides, he wasn't squeamish at all, he just didn't like to know that that animals life had been taken just for their bodies to be dissected. It felt wrong to him.

Then, a sickening smell was wafted over to him. He made a face and turned to see the teacher carrying a bucket with liquid inside and the bodies inside as well. "Alright," she said. "Remember, don't take your goggles or your gloves off, else I'll kick you out and no dissection for you ever again. As Super Scientist, you have a job to fulfill. Treat these animals with respect."

As the teacher came by to Danny's group, composed of unfortunately Tania and a boy named Steven, the teacher took the tongs and picked up the small, cat carcass from inside the bucket and, after letting the foul-smelling liquid drip into the bucket, placed it on their dissection plate. Danny made a face and wanted to hold his nose, but he didn't want to. He'd dissected before, what was the big deal now?

The teacher walked on by to the next group of three, one composed of Dulce, Pablo, and Junior, Danny looked over at his group members. Tania was looking at the cat, probably wishing she weren't there. Steven, meanwhile, looked a little overjoyed by dissection. Tania had warned him not to pop out any internal organs. Danny could only imagine why.

The teacher stood back at the front of the room and began to explain how they would cut the cat open. Only now, looking at the cat carefully, did Danny notice it was skinned. He took a deep, sickening breath and held it down while Steven made the cuts. The room was beginning to smell worst, and Danny found that his goggled were starting to fog up. Tania looked at him, as if waiting to see an equally disgusted face on his face, but found something else. Danny's teeth were clenched, and he wouldn't look at the carcass.

It's just an innocent animal, the thought had crossed his mind before but he hadn't known why. He also now realized that it wasn't his own thought. It was Sam's. It was her voice too. And before, with Jennifer, when he'd thought she reminded him of Jazz, he realized that in his mind he kept telling himself that Jazz should be talking to him, not her. Then, something happened.

"I can't do this," he whispered, and without further ado, he tore off the apron that adorned his body and three it to one side, breaking into a run to the outside of the room. He tossed his goggles down on the way too. Tania froze, Steven did too. And in the next group, Dulce was wondering what everyone else was. "What happened?" Ms. Russell said.

"He just ran out," Tania said. "He said he couldn't do it."

"But," Ms. Russell stopped and sighed.

"I'll go after him," Tania volunteered.

"No, I will," Dulce stated. "You can't run off from dissection. Your grades forbid it."

Tania looked at Dulce. She'd already started taking off her apron at a pace that only emphasized how serious she was. She folded it, then placed her goggles on top once it was.

"Both of you go," Ms. Russell said. "Tania, you're excused from dissection. Make sure he doesn't leave campus, and get him over here. I'm gonna have to talk with him."

Both girls nodded and went on their way, Tania taking off her goggles and apron on her way out the classroom.

* * *

Outside, there was no sight of Fenton. Dulce looked right, looked left, spotted nothing. "We'll split up," she said. "The school is big, he could be anywhere and getting farther away." 

"Okay, I'll take the lower stories," Tania said, thinking that the lower stories would be the most reasonable places for him to have gone. Dulce nodded with no objection.

"Alright," she said. "If you find him, just take him to class. We'll meet here intwenty minutes."

Without another word, both girls made their way to opposite directions of the hall, Dulce to the left, Tania to the right. At this rate, they'd find him soon enough.

* * *

E/N: Rolling Stone, believe it or not, thanks for your review. I was planning to write this chapter mostly about Danny, actually. Hope you liked it. You don't have any idea what'll happen next! Oh, Rolling Stone, is there any way I can talk to you without having to put it ehre? An E-mail address? 

--Airamé Phantom


	12. Untitled

A/N: It's just an E-mail address, Rolling Stone, but okay. I hoped not to have to say this over the chapter, but I just wanted to tell you that just because my name is used for one of the characters does not mean that it's actually me there. Just because the chapter had a lot of that name does not mean I'm flattering myself. It means that I'm trying to send out a message. In this case: Dulce hates Tania and Tania hates her. Also, the last chapter was meant to start from there and I'd been planning it since before I got your review. I had most of it written, actually. Thanks for understanding. And I did not mean to be harsh. I love getting reviews. On with the chapter! I don't own 'SOS' by Good Charlotte. This is the other song that inspired this story.

* * *

**Chapter Twelve**

* * *

"Is anybody listening?  
Can they hear me when I call?  
Shooting signals in the air  
'Cause I need somebody's help  
I can't make it on my own  
So I'm giving up myself  
Is anybody listening  
Listening..."

* * *

Five minutes later, after following what sounded like a soft foot steps, Tania finally reached the second floor - they'd been on the third floor. She snuck around towards the corner of one hallway and looked into the one connecting to it, hidden from most view. "Now the foot-steps stopped-" she cut herself short. There he was. She was tempted to shout out his name, tell him something, but resisted that urge. She only watched.

Danny stood there, back to Tania, trying to get the images in his head to stop. That stupid dissection had only brought memories he didn't want to have - both happy and sad. Sighing, he made up his mind. He needed to get away for awhile, from all the tension. A flight would do him some good, or at least just some time on the roof. It was a cool day, the wind would be as soothing as anything. Forcing the transformation from lack of going ghost for awhile, Danny could almost feel pain from transforming.

Tania watched in awe, both astounded and a little bit intrigued. She watched as the white ring formed at Danny's middle, then split in two and travel up and down his body transforming his clothes into a black and white hazmat suit. Even more, she was filled with guilt. This kid was already troubled, but with whatever was going on, she doubted he had many good things in his life. But in the real world, there was no room for pity. She pursed her lips and continued her spying.

But she couldn't stop her mind from telling her she shouldn't make the call. This was his secret, obviously, the one she'd been told to find out for herself. His ghost-half that she'd been told about but hadn't believed. She bit her lower lip, watching Danny fly up towards the ceiling and disappear from sight. She sighed and took out her cell phone. She dialed in a few numbers, then, once the voice on the other line answers, said, "I believe you. What now?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Danny phased up through the building and onto the roof. He smiled, landing and walking to the edge. Being up there was so peaceful. Even more because everywhere he looked he saw regular houses and regular people going about their regular chores and errands. He wished he could be normal too. At least...at least for a little while. To go about like the people down there, without a care in the world except for what they were going to eat for lunch, or whether or not they're going to be able to catch the football game if they went shopping. 

But he knew that with this darkness inside, he could never be like that. He couldn't because he knew that one wrong step on his path could lead to a horrible future as his evil-self. And he didn't want that. Both for himself, and everyone around him. And because of one other thing he will never forget. Danny walked to the very edge of the roof, and put a foot up on the short, brick wall that was only about a foot high.

_I promised. _

Some promise. They still died. They died because he wasn't strong enough to protect them. He looked over the edge to the floor below. He wanted to be with them now, wanted to see them again. But he knew that any wrong step could send his life tumbling down. Even one as simple as this one.

* * *

While that was going on, Dulce was making her way up the stairs to the roof. She'd been through every hall so far, and had caught neither sight nor whiff of Fenton anywhere. She wondered if Tania had had more luck. She opened the door that led her to the roof, and sighed as she scanned around. So far, nothing. Then her eyes landed on a peculiar and familiar looking shadow cast on the floor. She blinked, trying to figure out who it was. "Fenton," she mumbled, recognizing the silhouette of his hair and somewhat being able to surmise what the shadow led to. 

She walked quickly over to a tall structure on the roof and was about to walk out into where the sun would illuminate her, but stopped dead in her tracks as she looked around the structure towards where the shadow's owner was. That wasn't Fenton. This boy's hair was silvery-white, not raven black. And he wasn't wearing the clothes Danny was that morning. This was guy was someone else.

Then, the strangest thing happened. Dulce's wrist watch's alarm started beeping. The twenty minutes of searching were up. It wasn't loud, but loud enough to catch the attention of the interesting-looking stranger. Dulce backed up against the structed, out of view. Her heart was pounding, her fumbling to turn off the alarm quickly. She managed to do so. _Please don't let him have seen me, please, please, please, please, please! _She thought, trying to get her breathing under control.

After a while of not hearing anything, she turned back to where the figure was standing. She blinked. Stepping out from her hiding place, she stood dumbstruck. Where was he?

Her thoughts spun in realization of what he might have done. Dulce quickly ran to the spot where the stranger was standing and looked over the edge. The ground below looked like it always did. Good. He hadn't jumped. "That was close," she mumbled. "Maybe Fenton isn't here."

* * *

_"I'm stuck in my own head and I'm oceans away  
Would anybody notice if I chose to stay?  
I'll send an SOS tonight  
Wonder if I will survive  
How in the hell did I get so far away this time  
So now I'm sitting here  
The time of my departure's near  
I say a prayer  
Please someone save me..."_

* * *

E/N: I hoped you liked this chapter. I, personally, really liked this one. It's the turning point in Tania's career, let's just leave it at that. Anyway, review if you want! Bye!

--Airamé Phantom


	13. Beautiful Friendship

A/N: I made a few small changes. But I _still _don't own 'SOS' by Good Charlotte. So sorry I had you wait for so long!

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen**

**Beautiful Friendship**

* * *

"Is anybody listening?  
Can they hear me when I call?  
Shooting signals in the air  
'Cause I need somebody's help  
I can't make it on my own  
So I'm giving up myself  
Is anybody listening  
Listening..."

* * *

Lunchtime. Same day. Dulce walked down and out the hallways into the lunch area of East High. She hadn't seen a single clue as to where Danny had gone. He skipped his last three periods after Science class and hadn't been seen since. She figured he'd left the campus and gone somewhere else. Home, maybe, who knew.

She lifted her glance as the sounds of talkative teens filled her ears. She glanced all around the lunch area, thinking maybe Fenton was around there somewhere. Then she spotted him. He was off in a rather isolated area. This was her chance to talk to talk to him. She'd made a note to get to know him and probably gain his trust. There was something about him she both disliked and found intriguing. She made her way over to him.

* * *

Now Danny sat on one bench, the only one actually in the sun-light. When I say 'on' the bench, I mean the table. He didn't feel like sitting on the seat-part of the table. Besides it wasn't like anyone really cared if he did so or not. He was reading his book, hoping to finish quickly, and was just getting to the end of the second-to-the-last chapter when he saw a shadow come over him. He waited, thinking maybe whoever was standing there would just walk away. But after a few more sentences, he finally decided this guy wasn't about to leave him alone. He was holding the book in one hand, and just to add a little emphasis to how annoyed he was, he closed it using that one hand. He put it on his knee, leaning his elbow onto it. 

He looked up at the girl. Her piercing brown-eyed expression. He didn't seem the least bit intimidated by her hawk-gaze. "Did you lose something?" he asked harshly. He wasn't in the mood for people with staring problems.

"You didn't come to any of your classes following your disappearance in Science class," she said.

"So?" Danny asked, annoyed.

"And you didn't come to your daily session with Jennifer." The girl continued with her same expression. "I think you may actually benefit from talking to her."

"You don't know anything about me," Danny stated harshly. How could this one girl come up to him and start telling him what he should or should not do? So he didn't go to class, not like he left the school completely. So he didn't go to see Jennifer, not like she actually helped him.

The girl only looked at him, then reached inside her shoulder-book-bag and pulled out a packet inside a folder. She thrust it hard to his chest. "Danny Fenton," she said. Her voice was serious, very unlike the other people he'd heard trying to talk to him. Danny glared at her, holding the folder in his hands. "Used to live in Amity Park," she continued. "Family, two best friends, and ninth grade teacher killed during an explosion. Blue eyes, black hair, a strict C+ grade point average, known for playing truant and being tardy for class. Your old school was Casper High. There you were part of the geek/loser class of school society." She paused and leaned forward towards him until their faces were only about three inches apart. "I know enough," she shot at him.

Danny glared at her as she resumed her up-right position. "So I see someone's been doing some research," he murmured. "What are you, some sort of stalker?"

"Been called worst, I guess. May I sit?" she asked, motioning towards the spot next to him.

"Will you even if I say no?" Danny asked.

"Yes."

"Go ahead," Danny mumbled. Dulce sat down next to him and glanced at his book.

"Already catching up to us," she said.

"It's pretty interesting," Danny said. He looked at her. She looked to be rather different from all the other students at this school. As a matter of fact, he recognized her as the person who had been spying on him hours earlier on the roof. He then turned to the folder she'd given him. He set his book on the small space of table between them and opened it. A photo of him; a copy of a newspaper the title 'Sole Survivor' clearly printed in bold; even a few other articles she'd gotten talking about his school, his parents, and other things.

"Pain-staking," she said suddenly, looking over his shoulder. "It was a real tough job reading all of that. And yet, it feels as if I've missed something. I know everything I can about you, but something's missing."

"What do you mean?" Danny asked. She shrugged.

"There's something in the way you act, the way you talk, and in your eyes. You have haunted eyes, Daniel."

"Danny," he corrected. "Call me Danny."

"I'm Dulce, by the way," the girl said then.

"Sweet," he said. She looked at him. "That means sweet, right?"

"You're not the first to point that out, trust me," she said. She got his book and turned to where the corner of a page was bent. "You're a fast reader," she noted.

"I've got nothing better to do." Danny reached for the book, but she held it away and turned slightly away from him before giving the book back.

He handed her the folder back and she put it in her shoulder bag. She smiled at his expression and stood. "I hope you recover from your family and friends' deaths soon," she said. "I know it must be very hard for you to have seen them die in such a way."

"You have no idea," he said.

"You're right, I don't," she agreed. "I'll be seeing you." With that, she walked away, leaving a slightly puzzeled Danny Fenton behind.

"She's sharp," he mumbled. "And creepy." She knew more than she let on, he could tell. Her suspicions would be heightened if she ever saw him in ghost form again, or if they began to talk more. He couldn't make any friends. It would only hurt to see them go.

* * *

Afterschool. Masters Residence. Danny arrived at Vald's at the same time as always. Vlad awaited him on the couch, looking a little angry. 

"Hey," Danny greeted, making his way to the stairs and to his room. Vlad stopped him before he could even get to the first step.

"Daniel," he said sternly, standing. Danny didn't stir. "Your principal called. He said you skipped three full periods and half of your first one. Why?"

"I needed some time for myself," Danny said.

"They sent a couple of students to find ouy but they didn't," Vlad prodded.

"Well _they_ won't have a career as detectives," he said, still not looking at Vlad.

Vlad walked over to him and grabbed one shoulder, spinning Danny around viciously and forcing the boy to look him in the eye. "This is not a joke, Daniel," he said.

Danny didn't blink and met Vlad's stare with one of his own, but twice as discomforting. "I never said it was."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "I don't want you to skip any of your classes," Vlad said.

"Then I won't," Danny assured. "Now get your hands off me." He jerked himself free.

"You are not the boss here, Daniel," Vlad told him. "You need to follow rules. Without Rules there is no civilization."

"I'm not a savage if that's what you're implying," Danny said. "And as far as I'm concerned, rules were meant to be broken every once in awhile."

"Not in this household," Vlad said. "Tomorrow you will report to school, go through _all _of your classes and session with Jennifer."

Danny's teeth clenched and before he could do anything about it, found himself shouting, "Well maybe I don't want to live here, or go to that school, or even talk to Jennifer! Maybe I just want to be left alone! Maybe I don't like you getting on my case every day!"

"Don't raise your-" Vlad started, but was abruptly cut off.

"No!" Danny shouted. "I'm getting tired of you, Vlad. Just leave me alone. I can fend for myself." Without another word, Danny rushed up the stairs and to his room, slamming his door shut before he could hear another word come out of Vlad's mouth.

He slung his backpack to one side and tossed himself onto his bed. He cursed and swore beneath his breath.

Then again, maybe he was a little too harsh on Vlad. He sighed and sat up, trying to figure out if he'd been too mean back there. His eyes fell on his backpack. Some of his stuff had fallen out from his just throwing it onto the floor. He stood and walked over to the purple backpack to pick up the items.

Danny picked up his binder and a few other books. He picked up the book he had to read then froze. There was something peeking out from between the pages. He took the paper out and put the book down. It was bent in half so he unfolded it. Numbers. A name.

His memory flashed back to when Dulce had taken his book and concealed it from him for a few seconds. He sighed again and stood up from his hunched position. He grabbed the phone on his bed-side table and dialed in the number. "I know I'm gonna regret this later, but..."

"Hello?" the voice answered on the other line. He recognized it straight away as Dulce. She'd answered after only the second ring. "Hello?" she called again. "Who's this?"

"Uh...It's me, Danny," Danny said. There was a soft chuckle on the otehr line.

"So you're more observant than I gave you credit for," she said. "I didn't think you'd find the paper. To what do I owe this unexpected call?"

"Talking to Jennifer won't help," Danny said.

"What do you mean? You want to talk to me about your problems or something?"

"You seem to know enough about me to understand more than Jennifer."

"Good point, but I doubt I'll be much help. And I really don't like that suggestion."

"Jennifer said all a broken heart needs is someone to listen."

"Crap."

"Same thing I said." Danny laughed. "See, we're getting along already."

"Yipee."

"Don't be so sarcastic."

"Do I have a reason not to be?"

Danny shook his head. "Dunno."

"You're one strange kid, Fenton."

"Been called worst I guess."

"That's my line."

"Mind if I borrow it?"

"You already did."

"I know.And you're a little weird yourself."

"Thanks. So, is this the beginning of a beautiful friendship or what?"

"Don't count on it."

"Wasn't planning to do so."

* * *

_"I'm lost here  
I can't make it on my own  
I don't wanna die alone  
I'm so scared  
Drowning now  
Reaching out  
Holding on to everything I love  
Crying out  
Dying now  
Need some help..."_

* * *

E/N: I didn't have time to run a spell check unfortunately. Hope you liked it! See ya! 

--Airamé Phantom


	14. Training Room

A/N: I made a few small changes to the previous chapter in case you wanna check that out. Anyway, sorry for taking so long in up-dating! Whole bunch of stuff going through my head with all the one-shots and song-fics and new stories and...I'ma just stop talking. On with the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen**

* * *

"Is anybody listening?  
Can you hear me when I call?  
Shooting signals in the air  
I need somebody's help  
I can't make it on my own  
So I'm giving up myself  
Is anybody listening?..."

* * *

Next day. Morning. Thursday.

Danny climbed down the stairs to get to the living room. He yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep and had found himself waking up in a old sweat that morning again. This time, however, it was a little stranger than before. He almost felt as if someone was-

"Daniel," Vlad greeted, breaking through Danny's thoughts as he descended down the stairs. Danny blinked and looked at the man.

"Oh, 'morning Vlad," he greeted right back.

"Good, morning," Vlad replied. "Daniel, I have a rather appealing surprise for you."

Danny stopped at the bottom step and looked at Vlad. Surprise? "Huh?"

"Come with me," Vlad said, leading him away into a door that as situated between the two staircases of the castle. The doors opened by themselves as they entered. This was the way to his study, where his lab was then able to be gotten to. Danny said nothing, merely tightened his grip on the strap of his backpack and followed Vlad. Was he taking him to his lab? If so, why would that be? Sensing the boy's current confusion, Vlad looked over his shoulder as they entered his study. "I took to heart what you told me about your powers, Daniel," Vlad said.

Danny looked up and Vlad went to the mantel where the fake fire place was. He reached up, pulled the gold-colored football down, and the fireplace lifted, revealing the staircase that led down into the lab. "You don't say," Danny murmured.

Vlad grinned as they descended the steps into his lab. "Indeed I do," he responded. "I've been doing a lot of inventing lately and finally have just the right thing for you."

Danny watched as Vlad led him still to another door at one side of his lab. Everything was just as clean as the last time he'd been there. But the new door, however, was different. Danny could swear that hadn't been there before.

"I've recently stumbled about a hidden chamber in the castle. It was long before you arrived, however, and only until now did I discover that it may be just what I needed to build something for you," Vlad said. He opened the door to the new room Danny had obviously missed, and inside all he could see was white. The floor, the walls, everything. Even the ceiling. Not to mention the place took on a lot of space. It looked almost as big as the living room, very spacious. Vlad walked in, Danny followed suit.

"What's so special about this place?" he asked. "There's nothing here."

"Wait right there, Daniel," Vlad said. He exited the room and closed the door. Danny looked behind him as he heard the door close. His eyes widened. Vlad didn't trap him there, did he? He rushed to the door, tried to open it. Locked. He tried to intangible, no use.

"Calm down, Daniel, you're not being imprisoned," Vlad's voice sounded.

"Where are you?" Danny questioned. Vlad's voice seemed to be coming from everywhere. Danny couldn't pin-point it at all.

"Turn around," Vlad's voice sounded again. Danny scanned all around, but didn't see him still. He was furious now. Where The heck was he and why was he running Danny in circles?

"Vlad!" Danny shouted, eyes glowing green with fury. "Stop hiding! Show yourself!"

Vlad's laughter filled the room. "Maybe I can give you something else to set your eyes on," he said. "Give me a number 1-10, Daniel."

Danny groaned. "I don't care! Where are you?" he shouted angrily. Everywhere he looked was plain wall except for...

There was one area that was white as well, but it was different, almost looking like glass. Then he knew. He sighed and walked towards it. He stood about a yard in front of that area and crossed his arms, tapped his foot. "More observant than I gave you credit for," Vlad sneered. Soon, it was as if the glass had become cleared and a rectangle-shaped area in the middle of the wall.

"Stop playing around," Danny told him. "What's all this supposed to accomplish?"

"Look at the wall over there," Vlad said, pointing to the wall to Danny's left. Danny turned. "What about it?" he asked.

"Look closely to where the two walls connect and you will see," Vlad said. Danny rolled his eyes and reluctantly walked over to the corner of the room. Once he there, he saw a button. It was hardly noticeable since it was white just like the walls and everything else, but now that he paid close attention, he could see it. "Press it," Vlad said. Danny did so, pressing the button. He almost jumped when a type of compartment opened on the wall next to the button and what looked like a dial with the numbers 1-10 labeled around in a half-circle.

"What's...this?" Danny said.

"This, Daniel, is a training room. You choose the level of difficulty, and the machines create life-like holograms. Everything you shoot at is solid, however, robots that are being made and fixed over and over again as you train," Vlad said. "If you would rather someone to be outside and watching you, then the controls are in here. But if you wish to train alone, then there you have the basic controls."

"Wow," Danny mumbled.

"Daniel, I only have your best interests in mind," Vlad said. "I see not why you remain almost hostile against me." Danny's face dropped and he took a deep breath.

"It's...complicated," he said.

"It's quite alright," Vlad said. "You can tell me when you're ready. But for now, you should be getting to school. You'll be late."

Danny almost screamed with frustration. The door opened automatically for him and he ran out. "Bye, Vlad!" he shouted quickly as he made his way out the lab and the whole building. He'd been so caught up in everything he didn't notice the time that was going by! But, to his surprise, he made it to school just in time! Just as he had entered, the school bell rang and he ran off to class, not bothering to put away his books or anything. He, for one, did not want to be late. Even if he did hate that place!

* * *

E/N: Since I ran out of lyrics to jot down, then I'm just going to start writing with random lyrics from random songs and probably random quotes from some of my poems. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it! This will lead onto a scene in my head 

--Airamé Phantom


	15. Three Problems

A/N: Back-to-back up-date because the last chapter was a little uneventful.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

_

* * *

_

"I want you to make his life miserable."

"That I can do perfectly."

* * *

Same day. Lunchtime.

Danny was lying on one of the isolated lunch benches scattered about the outside lunch-area. His arms cradled his head and his eyes were closed against the sun. The day had gone pretty well so far. Nothing of the conversation with Dulce was brought up and she acted, like always, as if she didn't care. Of course she'd explained the day before that's just how she was. She did care about every fellow class-mate, she just didn't show it. She was a hard-core writer, she needed to keepthat reputation. She talk to him a lot and proved, not a psychiatrist, but more as a simple friend with many experiences to tell him about to make him feel better. None compared though, to what he'd gone through. He knew she just wanted to know what was bugging him; she'd sensed the tone in his voice and he knew it. But he was reluctant and said nothing more than that the whole ordeal with the explosion and whatnot was complicated. She hadn't forced him to say anything, and he was glad for that. Then he came to the conclusion that he would no longer go to see Jennifer since she kept trying to get the whole truth out of him even if he didn't want to. Oh well, guess she's just trying too hard.

The sound of shoes clicking against the pavement and what sounded like someone tapping their foot, though, quickly broke through his silence. "You missed your session again," came the voice. Danny groaned. He would know that voice anywhere. "Just leave me alone," he said, not even moving.

"Daniel, why do you do this to yourself? I'm only trying to help," the girl's voice said. Danny didn't move. "Don't ignore me, Daniel!"

"Stop calling me Daniel!" Danny shouted, opening his eyes and glaring at the girl. "Stop calling me that!" His tone lowered as he saw the look on her face. His guess was confirmed. It was Jennifer. "Don't call me Daniel." His tone was firm, dark, definitely meaning business.

Jennifer only looked at him blankly for a few seconds, contemplating the newly learned information. He didn't like being called Daniel, maybe had something against it, why? "Danny, then," she said softly. "Why don't we go to my office and-"

"Jennifer!" came another male voice. The girl sighed. She turned to the boy running towards her.

"Yes?" she asked. Pablo stood there, obviously out of breath.

"Jimmy," he said. "He's in the hall screaming. I don't know what happened. I only asked him if he wanted to go hang-out at the basketball courts and he lost it!"

"Oh dear," Jennifer mumbled. "Where?"

"Inside in the fourth hall where the library is," Pablo replied.

"Poor Jimmy," Jennifer murmured and ran off. Pablo looked on after her. He grinned and turned to Danny, who was sitting up on the table, feet on the seat of it, leaning forward on his knees. He surveyed the male before him. Pablo had never been out of breath, his breathing pattern was totally regular. It was all an act.

"Why'd you do that?" Danny finally asked. "The whole act?"

"Saw right through me?" Pablo asked. He shook his head at hearing no response. "It was a favor asked of me. Jimmy's been acting the mental-break-down kid since junior high. He can scream, cry, whatever, and no one will think much of it because they know it's an act. Besides, it looked like Jennifer was really working on your nerves."

"Thanks, I guess," Danny said. "Yeah, she was getting on my nerves a bit."

"Don't worry about it, once she goes into a mental-block on what to do with you, she'll just plainly begin to drown out her blockade in other students. Then she goes absent for a day or two, and comes back Ms. Sunshine. It's the natural order of things. She won't admit it, but she's quite a nervous wreck herself," Pablo explained.

"You know her well," Danny noted.

"She's my cousin," Pablo said. "I need to know. Well, I'll see ya later, bye." Danny waved shortly and watched as the boy walked off to somewhere else. Then he broke into a run and vanished from sight into the halls of the school. Danny sighed and was about to lay back again when a sudden chill went running throughout his entire body. The temperature seemed to drop various degrees all of a sudden and he could see his breath. What was more importantly taken notice of was the blue tint in the stream of blue breath that escaped out his mouth. Oh no. This couldn't be happening. How could Vlad be so care less? Surely it's not-

Danny's train of thought was interrupted by a sudden scream coming from inside the school. His gaze shot up to the doors leading inside. On impulse, he quickly grabbed his backpack and propelled himself off the bench and landed on his feet, breaking into a run for the doors. As he ran, his thoughts went spinning around and around in his head, trying to sort all of this out. This couldn't be happening!

Students everywhere were crowding about, asking what was going on to each other. A scream had come from the inside cafeteria where a lot of students were grouped on the outside. Danny stopped running in one of the empty halls. He took a deep breath. Looks like he's going to debut in Madison, Wisconsin again. He look all around and after seeing no more students, quickly transformed. The ring appeared around his waist and in seconds, he was Danny Phantom.

Phasing through the wall and into the cafeteria, he could see now that the ghost was none other than Skulker. He sighed as he became tangible. "Hey, bucket of bolts!" he shouted, distracting the robot-ghost from the girl he had cornered. Skulker turned and looked at the boy.

"Ah, my past target," he grinned. Danny had his arms crossed over his chest. The thermos! Well, he could always just beat up Skulker, but how would he capture him? Surely there was something he could use! "Looking for this?" Skulker asked, holding up a thermos.

"How'd you-" Danny started. Then realization came into practice. If he had the thermos, and that was where he locked up his evil, older-self then... Oh no...

Without hesitation, Danny's hands began to glow green. In a split-second, he'd fired a ghost ray right at Skulker's wrist. Fortunately for Danny, Skulker hadn't seen this coming and the thermos was knocked out of his hands. The girl who was cornered, looked at the strange device. Danny now changed his aim and fired straight at Skulker. But this time the move was anticipated and Skulker quickly moved out of the way. The blast instead went directly for the girl! "No!" Danny shouted. The girl looked up, but was too late in moving. The ghost ray, Danny being glad it wasn't even that powerful, grazed the girl's shoulder. She screamed in pain. Danny looked around, but saw that Skulker was gone. Many students began to pile into the room, mostly the ones who knew this girl. Looking at her closely, Danny noticed who it was. Tania.

He floated there, not knowing what to do. "You okay?" asked a familiar voice. Dulce stood over Tania, as did Jennifer and Pablo.

"Oh my, we should get this checked out," Jennifer said, looking at the burn. Pablo turned to the Danny with an angry expression.

"Just who's side are you on?" he questioned. "Get lost!"

"Pablo stop it," Dulce snapped. Pablo glanced at her. She never used his first name when referring to him. Either she was mad, or just too confused to even think straight. He then glared back at Danny, but to his surprise, he was gone.

"Good riddance," he murmured.

* * *

Danny, now in the hall and in human form, leaned back against one wall. "God, what did I do," he whispered angrily. "Even when I try to help I mess up. Now I have two places thinking I'm evil." He let himself slide down the wall until he was sitting down, slumped again. He looked up then down at the thermos. He'd snatched it when no one was paying attention, and made his escape at the same time. Reading the small screen on the side, he knew he'd gotten out. The thermos was empty. Now he had two problems: stopping Skulker or any other ghost he brought with him, getting Dan back in the thermos, and dealing with these people thinking he's the bad guy.

Okay, make that three problems.

* * *

E/N: Whoo, I liked writing this chapter. Looks like more problems and beginning to evolve. Looks like his fresh start just got soiled.

--Airamé Phantom


	16. Nightmares and Dreamscapes

A/N: Back-to-back up-date because the last chapter was a little uneventful.

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen**

**Nightmares and Dreamscapes**

* * *

Same day. After school. 

Danny was walking down the hall out of his last classroom. On his way, he noticed a small commotion. He looked up and saw Tania surrounded by some other girls. Taking this as his chance, Danny rushed over. The girl's around Tania took one look at him and quickly said good-bye. "Bye, guys," Tania said, waving, then turned to Danny. Her arm had been bandaged slightly where she'd gotten hit. Danny knew immediately that it wasn't a bad wound. "Yeah?' she asked, noticing his quiet stare.

"I...heard about what happened," he started slowly. "Are you okay?"

"I've been better," Tania said sourly. "Why do you care?"

"Hey, your my classmate," Danny said, trying to force a smile. "I need to care."

"Well, thanks for asking anyway," Tania said and began to walk away. Danny was about to call her back when a certain red-haired jock shoved him to one side.

"Move it, loser!" the jock sneered and continued walking.

"Stupid jocks," Danny grunted quietly, rubbing his shoulder. Tania watched the scene, then walked away and disappeared around the corner into another hall for journalism club. That gave her a great idea. Danny turned to where she was and sighed. "Gone," he murmured. He turned tail and began to walk out the school. At least she was okay. That's all he could ask for. But he was going to have to have a long talk with Uncle Vlad.

* * *

Danny walked into the door to the castle belonging to Vlad and saw the middle-aged man sitting on the couch, pencil in hand, a few papers scattered on the coffee table and a manila folder with papers on the couch. "Afternoon," Danny said, trying to get Vlad's attention. 

Vlad cocked an eye brow and looked at Danny. "Oh, Daniel," he said. "Good afternoon."

"Listen, Vlad, I need to talk to you," Danny said firmly, setting his backpack down and walking towards Vlad as he got up from the couch.

"As do I," Vlad answered.

"First off, V-man, how did Skulker get out the portal?" Danny asked, cutting to the chase. He pointed at Vlad accusingly.

"What are you talking about?" Vlad asked, seriously confused. Skulker? What would he be doing in the Real World?

"Skulker got out of the Ghost Zone and showed up at school," Danny said. "And, by the way, mind explaining this little problem?" Danny reached inside his backpack and took out the silvery thermos. He held it up for Vlad to see. "And also, would you mind telling me why it's _empty_?"

Vlad was speechless. How did he get the thermos? The last time he checked it was in his lab. And he couldn't have gotten it while down there this morning. Did Skulker give it to him? Danny pushed the thermos near Vlad's face. "Answer me, Vlad!" he commanded. "Why did Skulker have the thermos? How did he get out? Why is the damn thing empty!"

"You do not use that word in this household!" Vlad snapped.

"Then answer the question!" Danny said, lowering the thermos and grasping it tightly.

"Lower your voice," Vlad said. "Do not speak to me in that tone!"

"I've just about had it with you, Vlad!" Danny said, throwing his arms up and grabbing at his hair before letting go and dropping his arms. He looked Vlad straight in the eye again and lowered his voice, making it sound a bit more intimidating. "Once moment everything's cool, then something has to spoil it. Just answer me. Do you know how Skulker got out, why he had the thermos, or why the thermos is empty?" Danny surveyed Vlad's expression. He looked confused, a bit frustrated, and definitely hesitant. He was hiding something. "Vlad?"

"I have no idea," Vlad said softly. Danny nodded once, then grabbed his backpack.

"Thanks for being truthful," Danny said, hoping the word really got to him. He knew Vlad was hiding something. And he had a feeling it was something he should know about. But let the old man feel guilty. Somehow, Danny felt he deserved it. But he felt bad for thinking that. Sighing, he began to walk away, completely forgetting about Vlad having to say something as well.

"Daniel," Vlad's voice cut in. Danny stopped walking, hand on the banister of the stairs. "I decided to let you off from counseling with Jennifer. It does not seem to be working."

"Thanks," Danny murmured, and continued up the stairs to his room. Vlad sighed and sat back down. But he couldn't concentrate. Danny was hiding something. He noticed it because he demanded to know why the thermos was empty. Whatever had been in there was otu and about. It couldn't be good news.

* * *

Danny couldn't concentrate on his homework at all. He just gave up around nine o'clock. He refused to come down for dinner, and stayed lying on his back on his bed for the rest of the night. His eyes looked up vacantly at the ceiling through the darkness of his unlit room. His expression was blank and his arms were out-stretched on the bed. He wasn't thinking at all. It was like being deep in a sub-conscious state. But the same phrase was repeating over and over in his mind. 

_'I'm inevitable.'_

_'I'm inevitable.'_

_'I'm inevitable.'_

Again and again and again. He didn't know what brought the thought, but recognized the voice who was saying it perfectly. Closing his blue eyes, Danny took a deep breath and turned over onto his side. Maybe he just needed sleep. He curled up slightly and tried to drift off. Hopefully this night would be uneventful. He hoped his dreams would also be...empty.

* * *

_'I don't want to be here. I don't know where I am anymore. I don't why I'm here.' _

_Danny walked down, following a river. It was very quiet, only the sound of running water caught his ear. It was so...peaceful. That's all he needed to clear his thoughts. That's everything he needed right now. Just some alone time so he could clear his thoughts._

_He stopped and breathed in deeply before sighing. Crouching down, he put one hand into the narrow river. The water lapped at and caressed his hand. The cold water dripped down his finger tips and he stood. A sound, crackling sound, caught his ear. It sounded like fire on dry grass. But there was also a rustling sound, like something being dragged across the ground. Worst yet, it was near. He whirled around, back to the river now. There was something glowing coming in his direction from behind the trees and bushes. It was glowed fiercely. "Who's there?" he questioned as the rustling stopped and what seemed to be flames consumed the whole forest. _

_"Stop him," came a hoarse, choked voice. "Stop him at all costs."_

_"Who's there?" Danny asked again, his voice breaking slightly. There were more crackling noises. Then another voice spoke. _

_"Stop him, please," it said. Both voices were female, it sounded. Both were familiar. _

_"I can't," he whispered. He somehow knew who they were talking about, but he could not perceive a name. "He's too powerful. I can't stop him."_

_"Don't let us down, Danny," came another voice, male now. It was also familiar to him. It sounded like...like..._

_"I am inevitable. You will become me. Your future, **my **future, has been set in stone," same another booming voice, cutting Danny's thoughts off. Danny looked up and gasped, his eyes wide. _

_"You!" he exclaimed. It was his older-self. He flew above him. _

_"It is me," Dan said before shooting at Danny with an ecto-blast. It was strong and hit Danny square in the chest. Then he landed where the voices had been coming from. The faces...those faces. They brought tears to his eyes. Tucker, Sam, jazz, burnt and charred. Their bodies had blood running down them like little rivulets. It was a gory image, their eyes the only clear thing on their face. They grabbed at his shirt and his arm. Their hands felt like dust against his flesh. Charred skin fell off, revealing red flesh underneath, blood gliding down the opened wounds. Danny felt like screaming, he tried to scream. But no sound came out. _

_**"NO!"**_ Danny roared, bolting straight up in his bed. He was drenched in cold sweat, panting heavily, eyes wide and searching through the darkness. He blinked several times, trying to clear his head. But their faces, their faces...

Danny held his head as if in pain, trying to get the images out of his head. Their eyes...their faces...their voices hoarse and cold..."Get out of my head," he whispered. He felt a sob escape his throat, like deep, short and fast breaths. But no tears came form his eyes. They remained dry. "Please," he whispered. "Leave me alone...I don't want to remember..." He let himself fall back onto his bed, suddenly exhausted. He fell back into sleep.

Little did he know that someone was watching.

"But remember you must," the voice said. It sounded evil, just like his cold, black heart. "Your future is sealed."

* * *

E/N: Aha! an up-date! Sorry it took me so long! Been kind of busy with my other fics :D Sorry 'bout the cliffie. I enjoyed this chapter so much! Fun, fun! Hope you have nightmares, bye! 

--Airamé Phantom


	17. Fun, Fun

A/N: Hm, I noticed I put chapter fifteen on the last chapter which was sixteen. I'll change that right away!

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen**

* * *

Next day. Friday. Just after class. Hall. 

Danny walked to his locker, a few books in hand. He hadn't gotten much sleep, spending his night tossing and turning. He turned the dial of the combination lock on his locker door and put in the combination. He opened it and began to put his books inside his locker. He yawned, covering his mouth with one hand. He closed his locker, glad to have his hands free again, then almost fell back as he turned towardsthe outside for lunchand a picture was put in front of his face.

"What the-!" he started.

"Look familiar?" said a voice. It was none other than the school's first-rate reporter. Danny blinked and looked at the brown-haired girl. He then took the newspaper in her hand. It was just a simple cut-out article. She'd obviously been searching through quite the old pile of newspapers because it was an article about Inviso-Bill, as Amity Park used to call him. he scanned the article quickly, then looked at Dulce.

No," he said, handing the article back to her. He walked past her, bent on getting to the outside for some quiet time. It was obviously not going to be allowed today. She rolled her eyes and sighed, following him. It was her lunchtime too.

"He's from Amity Park like you," she said, coming up next to him. "Do you really think it's just coincidence he's 'followed' you here?"

"Where are you going with this?' Danny asked, turning a corner into another hall.

"The other day, I saw him on the roof." This caused Danny to stop walking. Dulce walked one extra step before stopping and turning to him. She grinned inwardly. That has gotten his attention. "When you ran out of science class," she explained. "I went to look for you on the roof and I thought I saw your shadow, but it was him. His name is actually Danny Phantom. You know that sounds a lot like you're own name."

His grip tightened on the strap of his purple backpack and she could tell his mind was going onto over-drive for a quickly come-back. "I seriously don't know what you're talking about here," he stated firmly.

"Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom," Dulce insisted. "Danny, I'm pretty sure this kid's got a connection with you."

"There is no connection," Danny said.

"I'm known for being persistent, Danny," Dulce stated, blocking him before he could walk past her.

"Look, I hardly got any sleep yesterday, I'm a little irritated right now," Danny said. "I'm really not in the mood." He managed to walk past her. But she still followed him.

"No sleep? What had you up all night?" she asked. "I did notice you spacing out in class today."

"It's really nothing," Danny said.

"If it kept you up all night, then it must be something big," Dulce said. "Was it..." she hesitated, but took a deep breath and continued. "Was it about your family?"

At that, Danny stopped walking. Being behind him, Dulce almost walked into him, but stopped juts in time. She looked at him, blinked once, then her eyes caught something else. His hand had turned into a fist and his shoulders were trembling. At first she thought he was going to cry from the memory or something - she'd had dozens of relatives who'd lost somebody close and this would some times happen if they were reminded of them. But no. When Danny spoke, there was a sharp edge to his voice that said he was nowhere near tears.

"It's complicated," he said, his voice strained against something. Was it...anger?

"Sorry I brought it up," she said softly, not daring to say any more. She knew how to take a hint. He wasn't in the mood to talk about it. But there was something she needed to tell him first. "But, Danny? You know, we're not exactly friends yet, but even if I don't understand, I'll always try to hear you out if you need help."

She turned to leave Danny be when Danny said, "Wait." She stopped walking. They both had their backs to each other. "I..." he sighed.

"You don't need to force yourself to tell me. It's hard, I can't even imagine how hard, to talk about your family. I'm sorry I brought up the subject. I don't think trust is born with, it's gained. You don't need to tell me, you know," Dulce said calmly. The air seemed to grow thick with tension and it's silence.

"I know," Danny said. Dulce didn't stir. "But...I don't know...there used to be something I didn't get about you. The need for information, to know. But yet...you don't ask anything of me. I still don't understand."

"I just know my limits," she said simply. "I'll see you later, k? Bye." With that said, Danny heard her soft foot-steps as she retreated back into the solace of the emptying halls. He sighed. He'd just been about to spill his secret freely. But she stopped him just in time. Not getting enough sleep must have messed with his senses. But he knew she was suspicious of him. He just knew it. It was about time, he decided, to let _someone _know. He'd feel comfortable if it were her. Why? Maybe because she didn't urge him into telling her about everything like Jennifer did. She knew when to stop insisting on getting the truth out of him. And for once, she wasn't as annoying as Vlad. He grinned at that.

The rest of the day went by slow. But Danny felt something was wrong. Something about Tania really set him off the edge that day. Something felt out of place.

This were out of place.

* * *

"I'm quitting." Tania put her hand down on Ms. Web's table. The woman was an African American teacher who taught English to the students. She was also the one behind the newspaper club. Ms. Web looked at her with brown eyes over the top of her half-glasses. 

"Why is that?" she asked softly.

"I don't know, just don't like it anymore," Tania said simply, smiling innocently at the teacher. Ms. Web leaned in.

"You still have all access to many things at this school because of being in this club. If you use that access for mischief-"

"I know, I know," Tania said, standing back up straight. "I know the rules, Ms. Web. Don't worry. I won't misuse access to anything."

"I hope you do not," Ms. Web said.

Tania grinned and walked out of the classroom, leaving Ms. Web behind. She walked out the school and took out her cell phone. She dialed in a few numbers, then waited for the line to be connected. "Phase one complete. Now, changingthe story will be a peace of cake wit no one on my tail."

_"Perfect."_

Tania held the phone away from her and disconnected the call. She grinned wickedly. "The fun has just begun."

* * *

E/N: Well, I'm back! I'm devoting this whole week to this story because it risen my hopes! I hope I finish it soon for you guys! It has been fun writing it this far! Well, read and review. Oh wait, you already rea.d So just review if you feel like it. Bye!

--Airamé Phantom


	18. Teenagers

A/N: Okay...hello. Not many reviews yet, but I guess I didn't give you enough time and it was kinda late. Anywho, please review previous chapters if you wish and then read this one. Oh, and I'm pretty aware that the last chapter must have been a little sappy. Anywho, on with the story.

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen**

**Teenagers**

* * *

Same day. Friday afternoon. Masters Castle. 

Danny walked through the door, but saw Vlad not present. Looking around, the boy noticed something on the coffee table. An envelope. "Wonder..." he murmured quietly and despite his best efforts, found himself walking towards the white envelope and picking it up. He quickly scanned the return address and name. From Amity Park from a girl named Valerie Gray. Danny's eyes lit up slightly, and a small smile began to tug at the corners of his mouth. Best yet, it was sent to a certain Danny Fenton. The boy looked around for Vlad again, but didn't see him, shrugging, he began to open the envelope, all the while making his way to the stairs and going up them to his room. He wondered what Valerie had replied to his last message. He'd told her about everything: school, no ghosts being around, even some people he'd met already. But he'd also told her about some similar points between the two cities. One, the jocks still seemed to be attracted to him and bugged him already on the first day. It was a simple act, but nonetheless delivered by this school's jocks.

Danny opened the door his room, already reading the letter.

_Dear Danny,_

_I got your last letter. I guess people just never change no matter what city you go to, huh? I'm glad you're 'getting along' already! I understand how you must feel in a new school. I was once the new student myself in Amity Park. Just think about: the kids that have been going to that school before you got there had been suffering through it longer. You only have a few years of it 'til you leave that place behind. Say, the monuments built for your parents have already been set up. Lancer's isn't getting much attention, but you must admit, that teacher had it in him. I kinda miss the guy. What do you think_

_Sign with sincere love, _

_Valerie Gray_

Danny grinned and reached inside his backpack for a blank sheet of paper and took a pencil from his desktop, sitting down and beginning to write. "Dear Valerie..." he mumbled as he began to write in the best writing he could muster. The last thing he wanted was for the letter to be illegible.

* * *

Midnight. Saturday. 12:03 AM. 

Danny, lying in his bed with the blankets down to his waist, tossed and turned. Cold sweat rolled down his forehead, his teeth clenched and bared slightly in feral challenge. He turned onto his back, arms out-stretched. His chest rose and fell with each heaved breath. His hair was plastered onto his forehead. "Stop..." he whispered. "Stop it." His voice grew louder with each phrase that left his throat. Another nightmare? "Please," he begged now, turning back onto his side. "Please, no..." Let us see what is going on...

_Danny is in his human form, looking a bit beat up, might I add. Before him is Sam and Dan. Holding him back are Jazz and Tucker. "Watch," Jazz said. "Only watch."_

_"Let go of me!" Danny shouted, trying to get free of his grasp. They held him by the elbow, their charred skin making his own flesh seem blackened. Blood ran down his forearms from his elbows to his wrists. "Sam!"_

_"Danny!" Sam called back. Dan picked her up by the front of her shirt. Her eyes widened as his hand began to glow fiercely with ectoplasmic energy. _

_"Please, no! Let her go! Don't hurt her!" Danny pleaded. There was a sharp sound of a beam being fired. Danny closed his eyes against the image, trying not to see, but even so the images flooded into his mind. "**Sam**!"_

"No," his whispered now, bolting straight up bed. He hugged himself, still able to feel cold blood streaming down his arms. His wrists felt dead cold from where the blood had been accumulated. And he could still feel the ashy touch of charred and burnt skin against him. Jazz's voice and Sam's scream rang in his ears, causing his gaze to drift everywhere as the sound continued to seem to come from everywhere. Danny looked towards the door, almost hoping Vlad would be there. But he wasn't. His eyes began to sting with unseen tears. He hugged himself still, wondering...thinking...loathing the inability to cry. "Sam," he whispered. "Jazz, Tucker...mom and dad...Lancer even. They paid for everything with their own lives. After everything...I couldn't save them..."

Danny looked up and took a deep shaky breath. He was afraid to fall asleep for fear of another nightmare and having to see his friends' and family's faces haunting him again. He decided to just do something to keep his mind off of everything. He needed something to distract him for awhile. Sighing, the boy quickly went ghost and thought: maybe Vlad's training room does have it's benefits during these times.

He went intangible and phased through every floor until he came down to the training room Vlad had built for him. The empty, white room was lit up. Almost as if the walls themselves made the light. Danny walked over to the button on the wall and pressed it. Immediately, a slide panel opened and a dial with the numbers one through ten written on it. Pondering, Danny decided to try what the one was. Around him everything seemed to dematerialize into another scene. Instead, now he was in almost park like area. Something that sounded like rambling came from behind him. He whirled around, fist at the ready, but stopped. It was...a robot? "That's it?" he questioned sadly. His shoulders slumped.

"Do not under-esti-mate me," the robot said, speaking every syllable with perfect pronunciation. An ecto-gun popped out of it's shoulder and Danny merely brought one hand up and blasted the thing away. "Darn you," it said before dematerializing. Shaking his head, Danny decided on instead a way higher number than five.

"How about...eight," he murmured, turning the dial. again, everything around him changed. Instead, however, now the scene was a battle field. Fake flames from a fire were all around him. The dirt was red-brown and debris littered the ground. "Now this looks more interesting," he mussed to himself.

"Prepare to fight," said a robotic voice. Danny turned around and expected another small robot, but this one looked more developed. And not to mention it was armed. Danny's eyes widened as more popped out of nowhere.

"Very interesting," he announced. "But you're all going down!"

* * *

"Daniel? Daniel where are you?" Vlad called, just barely taking a peek inside Danny's room. There was no one there. He walked down the stairs and checked in the kitchen and living room. No one. There was only another place Danny could have gone and that was the lab. Sighing, the middle-aged man walked into his study and into the secret doorway to his lab. _Having a secret passage always make things look more mysterious_, he thought as he walked. There was no one in sight. Then his eyes wandered over to the door to the side of the lab. He wondered...

Walking over to the door, he grasped the knob and opened the door. He smiled at the sight. There lay Danny, sleeping soundly slumped against the wall. _The boy must have come down here last night_, Vlad decided. Soft snoring came from Danny's part as he stirred. The room was once again clad in white, lit and bright. The dial that had once been on the wall was gone. Vlad walked over to Danny. It was near nine o'clock. He'd been sleeping for awhile now and Vlad had gotten a bit worried about not seeing him. He leaned forward towards Danny, hand reaching for his shoulder. "Daniel-" he started but didn't get any further.He was surprised when Danny's hand shot out and took an iron-hold of his wrist. Danny's eyes then snapped open, teeth clenched and fist at the ready. Then his expression softened. He blinked once, twice and let go of Vlad.

"Sorry," he said. Vlad nodded, standing up straight again and rubbing his wrist. Wow. He'd gotten very strong. Danny yawned and stretched before scratching his eyebrow in slight thought as he scanned around the room. He must have dozed off without realizing it. "Wow. What time is it?"

"Near nine AM," Vlad said. "How long have you been down here?" Danny looked at him and stood.

"I don't know. Hours, I guess," he replied. "Well, better go take a shower." He ran out the room before Vlad could say anything else. Once again Vlad felt he'd kept something from him. He shook his head and sighed, walking out the room and closing the door behind him.

"Teenagers..."

* * *

_"Well I'm sick of the fighting  
I'm sick of just blaming myself  
Well I'm sick of escaping  
I'm sick of erasing  
Your face and the places  
That give me a trace to you..."_

* * *

E/N: Ah...and so, the plot begins to build. Well, it's building slowly. Anywho, this builds onto the scene in my head I've been dying to use. Anywho, I don't own the song 'Numb' by Ill Niño. If I did, trust me, I'd have the whole world sing with me! Now, If you'll excuse me, I must go wrestle the monkey on my porch for the TV remote control instead of turning on the TV by hand. Au revoir! 

--Airamé Phantom


	19. Totally Spies

A/N: And so I am back from trying to help my illiterate friend to make up characters for his book! Strange, isn't it? He wrote seventeen notebooks full of ideas in four years and he didn't even make up characters! And he only wants my help because I know a lot of big words! GAH! Anywho, on with the chapter!

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen**

**Totally Spies**

* * *

Saturday. Same day. Ten o'clock. Danny walked down the stairs, having taken a shower, dressed, brushed his teeth, and everything. He hadn't been planning on going anywhere that day, but he just couldn't stand to stay inside the whole day. He needed to just breathe for awhile. Have some alone time, you know. He rushed into the kitchen, backpack in hand for some odd reason, grabbed an apple and bit into it before saying, "Where's the nearest park in this place?" 

Vlad, who was just upstairs, answered, "Just tellRichard to take you there!"Richard was the driver Vlad had for his limo. Danny sighed. He'd hoped to just walk to the nearest bus stop and head over to the parkfrom there like any other normal person. Guess he was going to have to travel in style.

"Fine!" he shouted. "Bye!" With that, he rushed out the door. He was met with the driver of Vlad's limo outside near the side of the castle. "Morning Richard!" Danny exclaimed.

"Good morning, Mr. Fenton," Richard said. He was a very formal man, always wearing a dark suit and hat, along with black gloves.

"Mind driving me to the park?" Danny asked.

"Which?" Richard questioned in return.

"Any one far from this place. I just need to lay low for awhile," Danny said. He didn't want to bump into anybody he knew at the park.

"Of course," Richard said.

"Thanks." Danny opened the door and climbed into the car. Richard, having not been used to not opening the door for someone, merely climbed into the driver's seat. He adjusted the mirror in front so he could both see in the back of the limo and see Danny. He started up the car and backed away from the castle before turning onto the road.

"And what's on your mind, sir?" he asked, sensing Danny's apparent discomfort. Danny had been looking out the darkened window for a long time now, eyes clouded, thinking deeply. At first he didn't hear Richard, causing the man to ask again. "Sir?"

"Hm?" Danny asked, looking forward now. Richard eyed him from in the mirror.

"Something on your mind, sir?' he asked the boy.

"It's nothing important, Rich," Danny murmured, turning back to the window.

"Whatever you say, sir," Rich answered and continued driving.

The rest of the ride, about ten minutes of it, seemed almost and endless length of painful moments for Danny. As they drove along, his mind was filled to capacity by nightmares he'd had, supposed visions, and painful memories he wished he didn't have. But he was, in a strange way, glad to have them because at he knew he was still sane since none of the memories/visions had warped into something very different. The sounds and visions that most filled his head though, were screams of agony crying out for help, massive lights from the explosion. All of this really tugged at his heart, making him feel sick to his stomach and his chest feel a bit stuffy and caused him to take shorter and faster breaths. But he ignored it and turned the thoughts aside. He didn't want to remember anymore.

Richard turned a corner and came into a street with a wide, stretching-out plain of short-cut grass and trees aligning an iron criss-cross wire gate. From where he was, Danny could see a little bit of the playground and little kids and their parents running around. "Here we are, sir," Richard said. He stopped the car just right there, knowing Danny didn't like showing up in places like - anywhere, actually - this in a limo. "Shall I pick you up in a couple of hours?"

"I'll just call," Danny said. "I may be awhile."

"Of course sir," Richard said. Danny climbed out without Richard's assistance and closed the door. The car pulled out once Danny began to walk towards the entrance of the park. He imagined that the park would be farther from the Masters Castle, but it was, it seemed, near somewhere around his school. He recognized one of the streets they had passed through. He sighed and stuffed both hands in his pockets as he entered and began to walk down the path. He passed the playground and then stopped at small voice. A ball knocked against his foot. He blinked and looked down at the ball. A brown-haired little boy about six years of age ran over to the edge of the playground, stopping as Danny picked up the ball.

"Can I have the ball, mister?" the boy called, his voice small. A little girl stood a few feet behind him, her brown haired pony-tail seemingly out of place and falling apart. Danny looked at him, then the ball in his hands. He grinned.

"Here," he said, tossing the boy the ball. The boy caught it, the ball almost slipping out of his hand. He smiled.

"Thanks, mister!" he shouted and ran back onto the playground with the little girl, who looked at Danny with a small smile before turning to run after the boy. Danny smiled and was about to turn back around to start walking again when he noticed someone walking towards him. A teenage boy, recognized as Pablo Dominguez from school.

"I see you've met Carlos and Carla," he grinned.

"Relatives?" Danny asked, staying on his spot until the boy clad in his usual style walked over to him.

"Sister and brother, they're twins." Pablo looked fondly over at the two toddlers. "What brings you to the outside world?"

"Hm?" Danny asked, now looking at him.

"No offense, man, but if Jennifer bugs you as much as she did when I came into the picture, then there must be something up. Not that I'm curious, of course. I'm not in my place to ask about anything." The kid talked a lot and looked like he was the type to jump in and help at any moment. Danny decided he was an okay guy. "I figured that since you're the new talk of the school along with that other guy who just showed up out of nowhere, that you had a reason to keep to yourself. My conclusion is you don't get out much."

"Wait, you said the talk of the school? What's that mean?" Danny asked, curious now. Pablo grinned at him, then turned back to look at his brother and sister, stuffing both hands in his jeans pockets.

"To everyone, you're the guy who's always off by himself with the problems they can only guess at. Next thing you know, people gonna be going up to you asking if you want to join their groups, clubs, and cliques. It's the natural order of things. Eventually, man, you're going to end up labeled." Only now that he paid quick attention to Pablo's manner of speaking did Danny noticed the slight Spanish accent to his voice. Not to mention the occasional use of the word 'man' reminded him a bit of Tucker. He sighed and shook his head. "And at East High, man, everyone's got their label," Pablo continued shortly after a small pause.

"Let's see how long I'll last without it," Danny grumbled quietly.

"Whatever," Pablo said and began to walk off. "I'll see you later, man."

"See ya," Danny said and walked off into a different direction. A label, huh? Obviously he wasn't going to be labeled very high in this school. Already his reputation was being downed by all the popular kids as 'the boy with problems who's always by himself' as Pablo had said. This was just great.

From afar, someone watched. She'd been sent to keep a casual eye on him and she didn't let her 'boss' down. He'd guaranteed her power, an offer she could not refuse at all. And if she kept up her loyalty to the man, he would surely have to keep his own word. Besides, this was interesting: watching the boy fiddle with different types of conversations. And it seemed the main characters in this plot were doing exactly what they needed to do. Inform him of different things going on as Pablo just had, tried to help him and Dulce had, and pushed him nearer to the edge as Jennifer did. It would only be a matter of time before the boy finally broke. And she was going to help make that happen. Everyone was going to learn who he is and he was going to have to deal with the hatred. But for now, she just wished to keep things a bit subtle. For now, she would work up the minor events into the plot and finally bring him down with the final blow. His reputation was history in both Amity Park and Madison. "Oh, you're going to be popular," she murmured, stepping off of the bench she'd been sitting on before and watching him depart from a far distance. She'd heard bits and pieces of his and Pablo's conversation. She grinned wickedly. "But not in the way you have ever imagined."

* * *

E/N: The plot is advancing slow, I know it is. And all this secretive stuff with a couple of the characters is probably annoying to you, I know that too. But the plot will build up in gradual procession. Don't worry about it! I also see I've lost a few of my reviewers. Man, wish I would have up-dated sooner! Oh well, review if you wish, hope you liked the chapter, and blah blah blah!

--Airamé Phantom


	20. Hello Misplaced Aggression

A/N: Woot! Up-date!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty**

**Hello Misplaced Agression**

* * *

Saturday. Same day. Twelve O'clock 

Danny was just about ready to make his way back home. He'd been sitting by himself, watching people pass-by for awhile now. A very long while. He didn't understand any of it.

By 'it', I mean everything that had happened. Dan escaping, the ghost attack by Skulker, the thermos being Vlad's lab, the dreams and visions...It didn't make much sense to him. Vlad hadn't seem to know what was in the thermos in the first place. But Dan hadn't made his appearance yet either. Was this part of some sort of plan? Some sort of diabolical plan to make his life even more miserable? It was bad enough he was living with Vlad. But then...Vlad did go through all the trouble of building a training room. But he also let out Dan. "Guess it's a double-edge sword then," Danny mumbled to himself.

He watched as a mother grasping her child's hand began to run off away from something. Danny's brows furrowed and he stood from the bench he was sitting on, looking to his right from where the mother and child were running away from. His eyes widened and then narrowed. "Today just gets better and better, doesn't it?"

He began to run off towards the restrooms. He rushed inside, made sure no one else was there, and quickly transformed before anyone could enter. "Going ghost!"

The white ring of light appeared around his middle and slowly, one ring traveling up and the other down, began to change him into his ghostly alter-ego Danny Phantom.

Danny turned himself intangible and phased through the building, shooting into the air before stopping to pin-point from which direction all the screams were coming from. Then he spotted her. A small bunch of people were still running as the sound of hard-rock music came spilling into their ears.

"That's right, dipsticks, just keep running!" the blue fiery-headed girl shouted as she struck another couple of chords and destroying yet another piece of pavement with a musical fist.

"Hey, Ember!" Danny shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to amplify his voice. The ghoul looked up towards him. "Did ya miss me?" He spreads his arms out as if expecting a happy little reunion with hugs and tears and laughter. But of course, that was far from mind. He put one hand out in front of him and with his other grabbed his other wrist. His hand began to glow green.

Ember grinned. "I guess you could say that," she said, narrowing her eyes and looking at him. "But I'm not here to pick fights, you know. Just here for a little RECREATION TIME!" She strummed the string again, but as the fist came towards Danny, the boy made his own move before dodging quickly. The beam he shot was a powerful one, him using as much energy as he had been able to acquire during his little reunion. It hit Ember full forced in the stomach, knocking her down to the ground and cracking the pavement. The girl sat up, looking dazed.

"Well, recreation is over," he said, reaching behind him for the thermos he had strapped onto a belt going diagonally around his torso. He uncapped the device and pointed at Ember as she began to stand. Danny pressed the green button and out came the swirling blue-white vortex of light, trapping Ember in it's clutches. The ghoul howled out some incoherent curses before disappearing completely. Danny floated down to the ground and grinned. His smile, however, quickly vanished as people began to reappear, cautiously taking steps towards where the damage had been inflicted.

"He did it! He destroyed it!" shouted a male voice. An old man pointed at him. Danny looked at him, then at where everyone else was pointing. There, in the middle of this certain ground was now a large crater. Danny walked over to where what looked like a bronze-colored plaque was. He crouched down, picked it up and read it.

"Dedicated to the founder of Madison Unity Park," he murmured, then looked at some of the debris. What looked like an arm and a shoe quickly stuck out amongst the other rubble. Danny stood back up and frowned. "Damn..." he mumbled. Then something mysteriously floated right through his back and out his chest. A rock.

"Go away!" the public shouted. They were throwing rocks at him! A good thing he was in ghost form, or that would have hurt. He went invisible, feeling a lot less than appreciated. Already, in his great debut in Madison, he was hated for destroying a district monument. This was just getting better and better, wasn't it?

He sighed as he reappeared floating above everyone, out of sight. "Time to go back home," he mumbled, wincing at the fact that he was getting to used to calling Vlad's place 'home.' There was only one home where he would actually feel like he belonged. And that was in Amity Park. Nothing would ever changed.

* * *

Danny flew back to the castle and didn't bother with even going through the door. He phased right into his room and collapsed onto his bed, staring up at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. Skulker made him look bad at school. Now Ember was making him the Public Enemy number 1 again. Could things get any worst. Danny frowned. _Of course they can_, he thought. _They always do, don't they?_

He turned onto his side and reaching over the side of his bed and beneath the mattress. He pulled a roughly-made scrap book with a picture pasted onto the front. It was a picture of him, Sam, and Tucker, making faces at the camera. Jazz had taken this picture when they'd just entered the ninth grade. They were in a dorky mood, so they spent most of the day taking pictures like this. "Then things got bad." He put the book on the desk next to him bed and stood up before walking out his room and down the stairs to get a snack.

He was actually surprised to find that Vlad had locked himself in his study. Did he figure out what Danny had done at the park and was trying to find a way to get the people who witnessed it to keep their mouths shut or something? He shook his head and went to sit down on the sofa, apple in hand. He reached for the remote and turned the TV on.

"All these people have said they saw the same thing," said the woman on the screen. Danny frowned and leaned forward on his knees. "They told us that they saw a teenage boy dressed in black and white actually fighting another seemingly ghoulish teenage girl at this very spot." The woman stepped to one side so the camera could tape the damage done to the monument. "He and she both seemed to have inflicted their own damage to the statue of William Shaw, the founder of Madison Unity Park. The MPD has issued a warning against the 'Mystery Boy' that states that if he is found committing other felonies, he will be arrested and taken into custody. The same, it seems, goes for the other teenage girl." Danny looked down from the screen of the television at the remote. "Here we have a witness who saw everything, will you please explain to us exactly what happened?"

"Of course," said a girl's voice. The screen focused on the black-haired girl as she spoke. It could only be one person: Tania Moreno.

He could hear no more. He turned off the television and slumped in his seat. "Great..." He ran a shaky hand through his hair and sighed. "Need to blow some steam," he murmured and went ghost before phasing down as far as he could, reaching Vlad's lab. This training room really does work for something more than just training. Hello misplaced aggression.

* * *

E/N: Veyr uneventful, very boring. Sorry, but that's the best I can do! 

--Airamé Phantom


	21. A Messed Up Conscience

A/N: Woot! Up-date! Man! Finally, eh? Enjoy!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-One**

**A Messed Up Conscience**

* * *

Danny spent most of the day in the training room. Alas, Vlad found out he was home and began to make his way to the lab as well. "He does seem to be spending a lot of time down there," the middle-aged man murmured as he went. He frowned as he heard the sounds of battle as he went down the hidden staircase to the lab. And he sighed as he found the sounds were coming from no other place than the training room. Making his expression thoughtful, Vlad made his way towards the door, and put his hand on the knob. He stopped in mid-action, and pulled his hand away. He wondered on what level Danny was working on... 

Vlad switched direction and instead made his way towards what looked like a regular wall. On the side was what looked like a rectangle-shaped metal plate with a small, ruby red button. He went on to press the button, and part of the wall, the exact shape and size of a door, began to slide across to one side, granting Vlad entrance to the hidden room. He walked inside and made his way towards a large counter keyboard with another couple of switches and dials. In front of the counter keyboard was a window-like screen that showed Vlad exactly what Danny was doing. He was, actually, looking into the training room, watching Danny's every movement without the boy even knowing he was. Vlad frowned again, and his brows furrowed. This level, he knew, must be in a high number. He'd told Danny there were only ten levels. But, this training course was built like a game. You can go into one level, and it would gradually develop into more difficult scenes and forms of training.

Depending on which basic, primary level you were in, the progression may be easy, or very difficult. Danny was facing many types of weapons and life-like holograms that were actually solid, along with a couple of weapon-bearing bots. This could not be an easy level of progression. Vlad typed in a couple of things on the keyboard and looked at a small screen on the counter-keyboard. He couldn't believe his eyes! How long had this boy been down here?

On the screen it read:

**_Level 10-24_**

It must have taken him hours to reach that number! "He's going to over-work himself," Vlad mumbled worriedly, looking back through the window. Danny was shot down and went crashing into the opposite wall. Vlad winced and expected Danny to just sit there, slumped against the wall from exhaustion, but to his great surprise, the boy pulled himself right back up and blasted the bot attacking him. Vlad shook his head and sighed before looking at his wristwatch. The boy had been here for hours, he knew. In fact, the time on his wristwatch read 9:47 PM. Vlad didn't like the conclusions jumping into his head. Had Danny even eaten anything? Had he taken any rest whatsoever? Has he re-hydrated the number of times he had to in order to keep up with all this training?

Vlad, suddenly, didn't think of it as training at all. The boy, he guessed, must be...how would the kids say it these days? Blowing off their anger? Vlad didn't care for 'how the kids would say it'. All he knew now was that he must stop Danny before he drove himself much too far!

The middle-aged man quickly exited the hidden chamber and walked straight into the training room, which still remained in game-mode, I guess you may call it.

Danny took no notice of him at first. Or at least, that's what Vlad thought. Behind him, the door closed.

Danny was in his ghost form, naturally, and was looking very tired. But even so, the boy did not take a rest. Vlad had been watching him from this point-of-view for mere seconds and already even he felt exhausted. He began to speak, but was cut off when he saw Danny turn in his direction after blasting a bot. Vlad's eyes widened at the boy's wicked grin. This only made Danny's smirk wider as his hands began to glow more brightly. Then, once Vlad was convinced the boy would fire at him, an enemy, a hollographic ghost, suddenly stepped before him. One which Danny took care of swiftly. Vlad let his breath out in a rush of relief.

Danny grinned at his expression and quickly walked over to the opposite wall to turn off the mechanical room. Once the scenes and graphics had dematerialized, Danny took a deep breath and brought one fisted hand to his waist. His chest heaved and his throat hurt, but he ignored all these details and focused on the man before him. His green eyes looked as vivid as ever.

"Daniel," Vlad said sharply. The minute the word left his lips, Danny rolled his eyes and slumped to the ground, leaning back on his arms and his legs out in front of him. Vlad knew he was tired and didn't want to listen to him, but he continued anyway. "How long have you been down here?"

Danny seemed to ignore him, eyes down to the ground in front of him as he tried to control his breathing and heart beat patterns. Vlad was about to repeat the question when Danny finally looked up at him, moving only his eyes, and after taking a deep breath, replied in a breathless voice, "I...lost count..."

"What time did you start?" Vlad asked.

"Can't remember," Danny said, shaking his head. He licked his lips and, sucking in another breath, added quickly, "I do remember the news were on when I came down here, though."

"The news?" Vlad asked, raising an eyebrow. Danny's nodded, having not yet caught enough breath to reply again.

"Daniel, I don't want you to spend too much time down here," Vlad said. Danny began to object, but Vlad quickly cut in. "I know it can relieve stress to train your powers, but it is not necessarily healthy for you to over-work yourself."

"Well, what else...can I do?" Danny asked.

"How about...poetry?" Vlad asked. Danny rolled his eyes. He pulled up one knee and leaned one arm on it. "Many poets write to get rid their stress."

"Vlad," Danny said, adding a touch of humor to his voice. "I can't write a poem to save my life! The last time I wrote a poem it was a mandatory homework assignment and I got a D-!"

Vlad frowned. "I just don't want you to hurt yourself, Daniel," Vlad said. Danny side-frowned, contemplating what the middle-aged man had just said, and just looked at Vlad.

He sighed, lowered his glance, and took a deep breath before saying, "This kind of stress you can't get rid of through a poem, Vlad."

"And what kind of stress is this, Daniel?" Vlad asked solemnly.

Danny looked at him and picked himself up with what little energy he had left. He transformed back into Danny Fenton, not once taking his eyes off the older man. "The kind that comes from a messed up conscience," he replied just as seriously. Then he began to walk past Vlad and out the room. He only got as far as to the door when Vlad called him back.

"And Daniel," he said.

Danny stopped, hand on the door knob, door half-open.

"What exactly 'messed up' your conscience, my boy?" he asked.

Danny grinned sickly and lifted his glance a little bit. Vlad only looked at him as the boy half-turned his face towards him. "Things you will never be able to imagine even if I told you."

And with that, Danny left out the room, leaving Vlad to think about his reply in silence and solace.

* * *

E/N: A little uneventful, but hey, I'm trying my best here! -grins- it'll get interesting, just watch! 

--Airamé Phantom


	22. And Once It's Over

A/N: Chapter's for Evelyn because I'm broke and can't get her anything for Christmas. So, my friend, I hope you like this chap :D

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Two**

**And Once It's Over**

* * *

Danny climbed out the lab slowly, his breathing ragged and his chest heaving. How _had _he been down there? It had felt like a few horus, really, but not that long. 

Up a step at a time, he went until he got into the study. His legs felt like a ton of bricks beneath him, and he felt as if his head weighed way too much: throbbing from an oncomming headache. As he stepped out the study and into the hall, another distant feeling made an appearance to him. A small grumbling of his stomach, gurgling kind of noise.

He touched his abdomen and frowned. "Hungry..." he mumbled, as if it were something he'd never said before and it shocked him. Sighing, he walked on. Maybe he should drink some water too. That might his his sore throat...

* * *

Before long, Danny had eaten a quick, not so varied, dinner and had climbed up the steps to his room to take a shower. He closed the door behind him as he entered his room, making sure to lock it too. The last thing he wanted was for his and Vlad's shakey relationship to hit rock bottom. He didn't like the man: never did, but he felt a little guilty. Vlad always loved him (on a kind of creepy level, but still love, in a sense) and he was making it even harder for the old man. It wasn't fair. And if there was one thing Danny knew lots about, it was fairness. 

Good or bad. Truth and lies. Which of both was he? Spectra had once asked him a similar question now that he thought about it: Are you a ghsot trying to fit in with humans? or a creepy little boy with creepy little powers? And now that Danny could think a bit more clearly, he knew the answer. He wasn't a freak. He wasn't _misunderstood._ He was lost.

Lost in his own mind which he feared would lose touch with reality. He couldn't do that. Whether he wnated to beleive it or not, his sanity hung by the same thread that Vlad's did. The man may be more composed, may be less insecure, but all he had was Danny. And all Danny had left was him.

"I never thought I'd say it..." Danny whispered to himself as he tore off his shirt and set it on the counter in the bathroom. "But Vlad is everything I have left..." He started to take off his other clothing garnments as he stepped into the shower. He turned the shower head so the water droplets would hit his face and shoulders.

He hugged his arms to him, feeling the water slide down his body smoothly, hitting him softly. "He's everything I got left..."

* * *

Vlad finally made it out the lab, travelling slowly from the basement to the first floor of the castle. The boy was being so secretive, he'd decided. But there was something in his eye that made Vlad think he was really trying to deal with this on his own. He didn't like that. He wanted to help him, wanted to be there for him. He tries to show it as much as he can that he loves the boy, but it felt as if he won't accept. It feels as if Danny is more trying to push him farther away that let him know what was wrong. 

But how to let him know that Vlad wanted to help. How does one let a child like Daniel, a hybrid caught between a living teenage boy and a ghoulish ghost kid, know that he only wants to make amends? To live happily ever after like in fairy tales. To win over this grief brought upon from losing loved ones? To win his trust, something so valuable no amount of money can buy?

Vlad started up the stairs then, contemplating his thoughts as he walked. How does one do that? he asked himself, the question repeating over and over in his mind. There was something he was missing. There was something about the wya Maddie, oh his beloved Maddie, and the boys father and friends (and teacher) died that Daniel was not telling him.

Had Daniel spilled any clues as to what had happened that Vlad might have dismissed as simple guilt? Has he actually been trying to let him know through means of self-blame and perhaps even trying to seem like a brave boy when all he wanted was for someone to care enough to keep prodding him? Or would he more want someone to just leave him alone for awhile, until he figured it out for himself?

He looked up, lifting his downcast gaze and stared down the hall at the door leading into Daniel's room. Walking over to it, Vlad gingerly reached for the doorknob, then froze his hand over it, hesitant. There was silence inside, nothing seemed to stir.

"Daniel?" he called softly, trying to figure out quickly what he'd even say. No one answered him. Vlad leaned his forehead onto the door, placing his free hand just in front of him on the door as well. "Daniel, if you're awake..." he called again. Nothing.

Sighing, Vlad turned the door knob and opened the door slowly, peering inside. "Daniel?"

It was dark inside, a strip of light entering from the otherwise lit hallway. It illumiated Daniel's bed and his motionless form lying there beneath the dark blankets. He was lying on his back, seemingly resting peacfully. Vlad smiled at Danny's sleeping figure. He looked so at peace then.

Slowly, Vlad started to close the door. "Good night, Daniel." He whispered the words fondly as he clsoed the door.

Let the boy sleep.

* * *

E/N: Uneventful for a totally late chapter...but hey, I tried to make it as deep as possible. And I think I accomplished that. :D 

And I think I'ma up-date again just for the fun of it!

--Airamé Phantom


	23. My Dear Boy

A/N: Back-to-back up-date because you guys deserve it.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Three**

**My Dear Boy**

* * *

"Nnnmm..." 

A form began to move beneath dark blue blankets. He was completely covered from head to toe, actually. The form moved on and about, slowly creeping nearer and nearer to the edge of the bed until...

_**THUD!**_

Blankets and all, Danny fell off the edge of his bed. Quickly, he was thrown out of his dreamless sleep and got up onto his knees, peeking from beneath the blankets over him. His eyes shifted slowly from side to side, surveying his current location. From what he could tell, it was morning. He found himself shooting to his feet and quickly rummaging through his closet for some clothes. He tore off his pajamas and put one some jeans and a black T-shirt. "Today's Sunday..." he mumbled.

He slipped the T-shirt voer his head, then looked at the digital clock near his bed. Wait a second...why did it read Monday, 7:58 AM? He blinked, then realization hit. "I slept through to Monday!" he exclaimed, and rushed even further, grabbing hold of some half-finished homework and slipping it into his backpack hastily before running into the bathroom, opinh on one foot as he started to put on his shoes...

Only to run right back out after a loud crash was heard. "Wrong door, dammit!" he shouted and ran outside his room and into the hall. He slid down the banister of the stairs, stumbling as he reached the bottom floor. From there, Danny practically flew into the kitchen, grabbed an apple and was about to run back out when he cuaght sight of Vlad.

The old man was sitting at the table, sipping from a cp of seemingly steaming hot coffee as if nothing in the world was wrong. This amde Danny stop. Wasn't he the one who wanted him to get an education. He rose an eye brow and stared at Vlad for a good long minute.

The man finally put his cup of coffee down and stared into it. "Something wrong, Daniel?" he asked, shifting his eyes to the startled teenager.

"Uhm...yes, actually, there is," he said. "In case you haven't noticed, I'm gonna be late for school and you're sitting there drinking coffee."

Vlad chuckled, and looked at him now, only to chuckle some more at Danny's confused expression.

"Did I miss some big joke? Isn't it Monday today?" Danny asked, blinking.

"I called you in sick today," Vlad annoucned simply. This only heightened Danny's confusion. His expression said it all: why? "The reason is because I thought long and ahrd about Saturday night, and I thought, since you slept through the whole day Sunday, maybe we could skip out on all the business and school things today, and just, how do the kids say it? Hang out?"

Danny nodded. For once he'd gotten the saying correct. But he was still a little confused as to what he meant. "So..." he mumbled, eyes shifting down to the table as he elt his backpack drop to the ground. "No interruptions or meetings or school?"

"Exactly," said Vlad, nodding for the boy to sit down. Danny did just that, sliding into the chair across from Vlad. He stared at said man for a long while until Vlad shifted. "Daniel, we've spent nearly two weeks together now, and things don't seem to be going very well for either of us, it seems."

"Got that right," Danny cut in.

"I know you are reluctant to tell me what is wrong, I know it msut be harder for you to handle all of this because, as you told me before, you were there and saw it all happen. I was not."

Danny's gaze fell at the words, thoughts spinning slowly through his mind. Vlad took notice of this, and sigehd. "Our relationship will not go far if we don't understand each other, I'm afraid. And I don't want to hurt you any further by pestering you or trying to get you help. I'm well aware of your relationships with students at school, and know of a couple of your friends. Pablo and Dulce, is it?"

Danny looked at him. Not exactly friends, but they were a couple of students who did tlak to him. He nodded.

"And already you've made a couple of crosses with a certain Tania and a jock named Jake, correct?"

He nodded again.

"Maybe enrolling you into the school was a mistake," Vlad said sub-consciously.

"At least I amde a couple of friends. And the etachers are nice," Danny cut in quickly. So far school was the only thing going somewhat right for him. He couldn't let Vlad put him on stay-home lock-down now! "You're not gonna be me some private tutor or anything, right?"

"Calm down, Daniel," Vlad said, tyring to get the boy's panic to calm. "I'm thinking nothing of the sort. I only was thinking maybe you should lay low for a short time. Get comfortable with having people around you again. Tomorrow, if you're up to it, you may go back to school. But today, I want to tkae you on a tour of the city. Maybe later in the day, we can do some training together in the lab."

Danny blinekd at him again. He wasn't serious, was he? "Are you going soft, or sjutt rying to butter me up?" he asked.

"I want to make amends for everything I've ever done," Vlad said. "But even more, I want to fix up our shakey relationship. As much as it seems otehrwise, Danny, I don't want to lose you too, like I did your mother. I am suffering, maybe not as severely, but just as much as you."

Danny's expression softened. Maybe he ahd taken Vlad the wrong way. Maybe the guy was jsut as hurt as he was. After all, they were both in the same situation to every one else's eyes. They'd both lsot someone close - extremely close. But Danny...Danny had to watch out. Dan was still loose out there.

Maybe if he did tell Vlad...

_No. Vlad can never know. Not until the time is right. Then maybe I'll tell him. But otehrwise, it's my secret..._

He grinned. "Okay then, where to first?" he asked. Vlad smiled.

* * *

Meanwhile, off somewhere else in the city, at school to be exact, the sound of someone typing filled the room known for it's being the Journalism Club Classroom. Inside, a certain teenage girl was busily typing something up on a computer. her dark hair was unusually clipped up, her eyes glued to the screen. Around her, the classroomw as vacant and silent. This article would be the most interesting of the others. She was sure it'd get a reaction out of the whole school. But more importantly, the reaction would be set to a certain teen hybrid. All the attention would be for him. And no one could sotp her now. Her hacking skills may not be great, but getting into the newspaper system would be easy. The passwords were always so predictable.

_Mh, heh heh heh heh..._

* * *

E/N: oooooooo, spoky ending. It scared me even! But yes, my writing skils have greatly improved, haven't they? I had to read the entire story again for fear of making soem sort of mistake that would confuse readers and I was shocked to read so many chapters that I know now I could have made better. Aah well, live and learn. :D

--Airamé Phantom


	24. Old News

A/N: I'm supposed to be getting ready for school XD

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Four **

**Old News**

* * *

"We have no use  
For the truth  
And now's the time for us to lose  
Who we are and how we've tried  
Taking every step in stride  
It's now or never to decide..."

* * *

First stop was the mall: the center of teenagerdom in Madison just as it was in Amity Park. And to Danny's surprise, it was full even on school days like this! Then again, what would you expect? The place had _everything! _And by everything, I mean everything! People were even grocery shopping here! 

"Wow..." Danny mumbled, walking through the the semi-crowded entrance area. Vlad walked up next to him, arms crossed behind him.

"Amazing, isn't it?" he asked. "Everything you need, all in one spot."

"No kidding," Danny said, eyes gazing all around. The mall had three separate floors. Each floor had specific stores. The first floor was main food-courts, stores for cooking supplies, kitchen stuff, and even grocery stuff. The second floor was mainly for clothing and the like: accessories, purses, cloaks, you name it! Last, but not least, the third floor was purely electronics ranging form the smallest computer chip to a full-fledge refridgerator! "This is nothing like the Amity Park mall," he remarked, stopping in front of a small cart selling random candies. He blinked as the woman, a pink-eyed lady dressed in a mall-uniform and tied-back blonde hair, smiled at him. He smiled back, then turned to Vlad. "People seem nice," he also commented.

"Daniel, Madison is just like any other town," he said, waving at a random waving passer-by. Apparently the man was some type of associate. "There will always be salespeople wanting you to buy their product. And one way or another, they're going to smile and butter you up. Now, come on, you're in need of getting a cell phone for emergencies."

"You sound like an over-bearing mother now," Danny said boredly, giving Vlad that "you're so pathetic" kind of look. Vlad gave him an odd glance. Danny grinned. "It's a good look for you," he sneered, and walked ahead of him. "Escalator's this way!" he announced. Vlad had to smile.

* * *

After buying Danny a new, pre-paid phone (much against Danny's wanting a company phone instead), he and Vlad settled down at one of the restaurants in the mall to eat something for lunch. (They'd searched for nearly two hours for the correct place to buy the cell phone.) And even though it was too early for lunch anyway, they were still hungry. 

"This place reminds me of McDonalds," Danny noted, glancing at all the little kids. "Children everywhere." They were standing in line to order their food. This place was like a Nasty-Burger mixed with a McDonalds, actually. Little kids everywhere, but college and even some high school teens wandering around chattering and eating their food.

"Everyone needs to get out sometime, Daniel," Vlad said.

"Especially you," Danny noted. "Why do you spend all your time in the library now? If not there then making phonecalls. What's the deal? I'm already enrolled in school, I'm not planning on calling the doctor guy and telling him I don't want to live with you, I-"

"You want to live with me?" Vlad asked, obviously surprised. Danny blinked, cut off from his list. He looked at his feet and shrugged his shoulder. "I guess..." he mumbled.

"May I take your order, please?" a nasal voice broke into the conversation. Vlad didn't hear it. "Sir, can I take your order _please_?"

"Uh...Vlad?" Danny said, snapping Vlad back into reality.

"Oh, of course," Vlad said hurriedly, facing the teenager behind the counter. He stared at the menu of different meals.

* * *

"Oh, come on!" Danny laughed, slumping back in his chair as he laughed. It felt as if he would bust a lung. "That can't possibly be true!" 

"What's so unreal about it?" Vlad asked, but had to fight to keep the smile on his face from showing up. He watched as Danny tried to control his laughter.

"Vlad, no offense, but you're not a prodigy. I don't really think that at age three you could have come up with something like _that! _It's so...so..." he tried to come up with the right word. He rubbed his chin. "Uh..._cliché_."

"Oh, so you're saying a child can't dream?" Vlad asked, pretending to be hurt.

Danny chuckled and sipped from his soda. "Nevermind," he said, smiling. He sighed deeply and stared out the darkened window of Vlad's limo. The trees passed by along the road back to the mansion, almost like soldiers. _No, not soldiers, _He thought to himself, _watch dogs. _

Vlad's smile vanished and he only stared at the young teen. _He's coming back..._Vlad thought to himself. _He's coming back to himself..._

"Vlad," Danny's voice cut in. Vlad stared at him.

"Yes?" he asked, voice soft and matching Danny's own.

Danny turned away from the window and gave Vlad a sorriful expression.

"I'm sorry, too," he whispered. "For arguing with you and-"

"Daniel, I-"

"No, let me finish," Danny said. "You've been trying so hard to get me to feel comfortable. You got me into school and that's really helping, believe it or not. And you didn't even hide Valerie's letter or read it before you gave it to me. You respected my privacy and...thanks for that. But..." Danny took in a deep breath, expression grave. "I want to figure this out on my own. As much as I wish I could tell you everything, there are just some things that I still have trouble believing myself...Like my mom always told me when I was kid...what's the use of telling a story you don't believe?"

Vlad was about to say something, but stopped. He sighed. "I understand," he said. "Take as long as you need, Daniel, there is no rush. And when you're ready to talk, we'll talk."

"Thanks, Vlad..." Danny whispered. "For everything."

* * *

"Wake up I'm pounding on the door  
I'm not the man I was before  
Where the hell are you  
When I need you..."

* * *

E/N: The songs belong to 3 Days Grace 

--Airamé Phantom


	25. Oh, Sweet Niblets

A/N: It was requeated of me to up-date this story! Oh, and by the way, if you want me to up-date a particular story, all ya need to do is ask! Just messege me or reach me here: zombiekiller (underscore) 75 (at) yahoo (dot) com.

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five**

**Oh, Sweet Niblets**

* * *

Tuesday morning. Masters Mansion. Danny's room. 7:30 AM. 

Danny awoke pretty early that morning, actually. It felt as if he'd gotten more than enough hours of rest. Vlad wasn't even up yet when Danny finished getting ready for school. So now he sat there on his bed, tying his shoe laces….

….and struggling with it. He didn't know why but every time he was sure he'd tied the correct knot, the shoe laces fell untied. He nearly screamed in frustration once, stopping himself in the nick of time. He didn't want to wake Vlad. He let go of the shoe strings, hoping they'd stay in place but as soon as he began to feel satisfied, they fell apart. Again. He stomped one foot then fell backwards onto his bed, glaring at the ceiling. "What the heck is wrong with these things?!" he exclaimed quietly as he sat right back up.

He held his head in his hands as he tried to clam himself down. "This reeks," he grumbled, staring at the shoe laces. He didn't know why he just couldn't get the knot right…maybe it was because he was so nervous. He didn't know, but the minute he woke up he just felt so anxious to get going to school. That was the only reason he actually got out of bed instead of just lying there for a few minutes like he usually did.

Sighing at his thoughts, Danny breathed in deeply and then let out the air in a rush. He looked at the laces and picked on end up in each hand. Slowly, and quietly, he repeated a little tune whilst bringing the laces around in loops until a bow had been formed. "…then pull," he murmured and pulled at the two loops. He let go carefully, afraid it'd fall apart again, then slowly stood up. To his surprise (and great joy) the knots stayed. "Alright!" he exclaimed, then grabbed his backpack, a piece of paper with his handwriting on the bedside-table, and raced out his room, almost crashing into the opposing wall when he tried to skid to a stop to turn onto the stairs.

He grabbed the banister and slid down, climbing off at the last minute before he REALLY hurt himself. He ran into the kitchen, grabbed an apple, dropped the piece of paper next to the coffee machine and raced back outside to the door, backpack slung on one shoulder. "Hey, Tracy!" he shouted at the dark-skinned woman dressed in a mail-person uniform with curly black hair. The woman looked up as she opened the mailbox on the outside of the front gate of the mansion. She smiled.

"Hey, kid," she said.

"Any mail for me?" Danny asked, running up next to her and staring at all the envelope sin her hand.

"Lemme check," she murmured, searching through. "Uh, yes, actually, there's one right here. Addressed to Mr. Daniel J. Fenton from a Miss Gray." She handed him the neat envelope with a smile that said "oooo!" all on its own. Danny grinned.

"Alright!" he said and thanked her before going on his way. He'd catch the school bus today. He really didn't feel like going through the trouble of showing up in a black limo again. Besides, this oughtta be fun. The bus, form what he'd seen, wasn't usually as full as the Casper High bus back home.

He frowned as he ran to the nearest school bus stop.

He grasped the envelope in his hand tighter as he thought this. He looked at the lowly gray envelope and let the backpack strap fall into the crook of his elbow as he stuffed the letter carefully into the largest pocket. At that very moment, the bus showed up in all it's orange-yellow glory. He smiled at the bus driver as he climbed on and then chose the nearest empty seat, staring out the window as the bus started up again.

_Home…_

* * *

School. 

The bus ride to school was pretty slow, filled with shouting and whispering and talking students who seemed to just really want to get on Danny's nerves. A couple of girls cooed at him and sat behind him, touching his hair from behind him. He ended up moving to sit next to a boy with large round glasses. The girls giggled and pointed, but eventually quieted down. Danny stared on as the boy next to him seemed to be finishing up on some last minute reading in I know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

"It's a good book," Danny remarked, then looked away before the boy could respond. When they finally arrived at the school, Danny was relieved to climb off the bus. He stepped off onto the sidewalk, only to have the school quarterback, Jake, pushed past him with his posse of large jocks. Danny cursed beneath his breath and tugged at the purple backpack strap more before going on his way into the school to locker No. 742.

He sighed as he made his way into the halls. For some odd reason, though, everywhere he went, everyone stared at him. I mean, not like he wasn't used to occasional stare but this…..this was different. All the anxiousness form that morning showed up again, making his heart pound like the time when he was trying to keep Pariah in the coffin and he thought he wouldn't be able to do it. The type of tension tha5t was so thick is nearly choked him. But he kept his cool, walking through the halls without giving the whisperers a second glance. He made it to his locker alright, actually, and had already started turning the lock to the second number of his combination when a couple of large shadows were cats about him. His hand sort of froze on the dial. His eyes slowly shifted to his right, almost dreadfully so. The minute he saw Jake followed by two other angry-looking jocks, he cursed and swore beneath his breath as much as he possibly could before Jake grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him off the ground.

"What the-whoa!" Danny shouted, kicking his feet. "Hey! Put me down!" Around them a crowd began to gather and shouts and cheers sounded.

"Who do you think you are, Nobody?" Jake growled, staring at the struggling Danny.

"This "nobody" has a name!" Danny snarled back, having to try hard to keep his eyes blue. He glanced around at the crowd now formed all around them. They punched fists in the air, shouted for Jake's victory, booed Danny….it all started to blur into just one big blob of motion of different shades of color.

Jake slamming his back against the lockers snapped him back to reality. He winced, pain racing up form where his back had connected with the protruding combination lock. He stared wearily at Jake. "Brace yourself, new-kid," Jake warned, bringing his fist back and getting ready to knock the living daylights out of Danny.

"Oh shit…"

* * *

"Four years you think for sure  
That's all you've got to endure  
All the total dicks  
All the stuck up chicks  
So superficial, so immature  
Then when you graduate  
You take a look around and you say HEY WAIT  
This is the same as where I just came from  
I thought it was over  
Aw that's just great..."

* * *

E/N: Song "High School Never Ends" by Bowling for Soup :D 

--Airamé Phantom


	26. Going Down in Flames

A/N: WOOT!

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Five **

**Going Down in Flames**

* * *

"I'm going down in flames  
I'm falling into this again, yeah  
I'm going down in flames  
I'm falling into this again..."

* * *

Danny stared with wide-eyes as the fist started to speed towards him in what seemed like slow motion. This was the end of him! Not even more than a month at this school and already someone was trying to beat him up! He gulped and closed his eyes shut, waiting for the pain that was so sure to come he felt his heart wrench with it before Jake's fist had even connected! 

"GHOST!!"

Danny's eyes snapped open and he nearly gave a shout of surprise when he noticed Jake's large fist frozen right in front of his eyes not an inch away. He almost fainted. He shook his head and looked at Jake's face past his fist. The jock was turned around facing the end of the hall where the shout had come from. Danny looked that way too. All around him the crowd that had gathered silence and that one single weird kid running down the hall was the only sound. "Ghost!" he shouted until he finally tripped coming around the bend of the hall.

Danny felt a chill run up and down his spine and he shivered as a blue wisp of smoke escaped his lips. Jake stared at him as if he'd shocked him. Danny stared back. Before either of them could say a word, screams erupted all around them as people started to run off. Jake and him looked around, surprise and unsure of what to do. "Run!" they shouted. "Ghost! Run!"

Jake slowly let go of Danny's collar and even more slowly, began to back away and ran after his buddies, leaving Danny to slide down the locker doors, hand on his throat. _That, _he thought, _was too close for comfort…_

He gulped, and stood, scrambling to his feet and starting to run as well, but in the opposite direction of everyone else. He had to shove past a couple of students as he made his way into the boy's restroom. He ducked down, looking for feet in case someone was behind the stall doors, saw none, then locked the restroom door. "Going ghost!" he exclaimed, and slowly, almost too slowly, the rings of light around him flashed on and off as he was transformed into his alter-ego, Danny Phantom. _No one recognize me, no one recognize me! _he prayed in his head and zipped through the door and out into the frenzied halls, thermos in his hand and at the ready.

"Long time, no see," said the crude voice. Danny turned around far enough to catch a glimpse of a dark shadow and hear the roar of a motorcycle. The thermos slipped form his hand.

And suddenly, it was as if the shadow had him engulfed within it's darkness except for his face because he could see his surroundings whirling around and around uncontrollably until they became a blur, mixing into each other as they were flying as breakneck speed to the end of the hall, him unable to see where they were going. All he could do was shout as acid seemed to shoot through his body, burning him. Finally, he found the shadow turning him intangible forcedly and then tangible again as light filled his vision and a brick wall came in contact with his back. The breath knocked out of Danny, the shadow receded, allowing Danny to slide down the brick wall. Around him, all the screaming that had been playing suddenly began to die down as full dread filled the air. He could sense a million stares upon him. He could see all the screaming, running, terrorized people but…he couldn't hear them. An electric shock ran through his body and finally, the sound started again as he shut his eyes tight. He coughed, feeling weaker than he'd ever felt before.

From afar, he heard a wretched screech and a crude voice shouting something he couldn't quite comprehend. His mind was spinning so fast from having his powers forced by the shadow he couldn't even understand what he was thinking. He just lay there for what seemed forever as the screams and shouts started to merge into a single voice saying words he could almost comprehend.

"Go!…..come on!…..to see……back…..class! Everything….care of!"

It was a male voice, he noticed. Tinted with a Spanish accent. He tried hard to focus on who the voice was coming from. He could make out a green plaid shirt and brown cargo pants, but he couldn't figure out who he was. "Wha…." he mumbled, and noticed the male turn around a little. "Who a…" Danny tried again, but found his vision shifting. He could hardly keep his head up. He saw the boy turn back around and commence shouting again. The screams and yelps started to become less and the rush of color blurring was beginning to fade.

The boy was helping him.

"Tha….nks…." he whispered, then found a shadow suddenly loom over him from the side. His eyes widened in horror, thinking maybe it was Johnny's shadow, but a voice and familiar face reassured him.

"We need to get you out of here! Just hold still, let's get you somewhere secure…."

He blacked out.

* * *

Echoes. At first all her could hear was hushed voices echoing in his ears. When her opened his eyes, all he saw were blurred faces. 

Two of them.

"Sh, sh!" one hissed, the female. "He's waking up..."

"I think I can see that," said the second. A male.

Danny groaned, his body sitll aching. He brought his hand up to his head, trying to fight away the head ache forming behind his eyes. He tried to get up, but found the female pushing him back down. "Don't get up," she said.

Danny stared at her, her black, plastic framed glasses, hair falling in her face which she hurriedly brushed behind her ear. Then he switched his attention to his hand. His eyes went wide and he quickly tried to scramble away from them.

He was in human form.

"Wh-what's going on?" he asked, fear gripping his heart. This couldn't be happening! No! He couldn't let these two become involved! **He'll** know! **He'll** figure out they know his secret and he'll kill them! Just like Sam! Just like Tucker!

"SH!" the girl quipped, covering the boy's mouth. Danny frowned, trying to quirm away from ehr but finding himself against the wall.

"Chill, man!" the other snapped. He turned his head out towards the door of whatever room they were in. Steps and voices sounded outside. They slowly faded away, however, and the two teenagers relaxed significantly.

Dulce moved her eyes back towards the hybrid and lowered her hand, sitting back on legs before shifting into a more comfortable position, sitting indian style.

"Did you see..." Danny started softly, looking at them. He trailed off.

"Don't worry," she said, sighing and gingerly rubbing her left temple. She closed her eyes, as if trying to fight away a head ache herself. "We won't tell anyone about your secret."

"Yeah," the spiky-haired boy agreed, looking towards Danny. "I guess I should say I'm sorry about...the first time I ever saw you as...uhm, Phantom, is it?" Danny nodded, still slightly afraid of what was going on. He couldn't think straight, couldn't stop the fear of more death form infiltrating his mind.

"You can trust us," Dulce continued. "We can keep a secret..."

Danny stared from one teen, to the other, and suddenly, he felt anger begin to bubble up inside him. "No!" he hissed. "It's too dangerous for you two to know about me! It's too soon!" Dulce stared at him in slightly awe and shock.

"We helped you escape! Get out of there! If not for us, you would have gone back to regular Danny Fenton in front of EVERYONE!" Pablo snapped.

"You don't understand," Danny insisted, eyes flashing green. "It's. Too. Dangerous. You guys don't know what's going on. I can't let him find you!"

"Danny, what are you-" Dulce started, then stopped as the sound of a door knob turning caught her attention. All three pairs of eyes went to the gold doorknob, then to each other.

"Is anyone in there?" called the voice of none other than Principal Harris. Their eyes widened to the point where it was a wounder to find that their eyeballs didn't pop out.

"Hide"! Pablo hissed.

"Where?!" Dullce asked, scrambling to her feet along with the other two. It was dark in the room, the only light coming from two windows with half-open blinds over them. It was empty, too, so there was nothing to hide behind.

"Danny, you get out with your powers!" Pablo instructed. Said boy started to say something, but Pablo cut him off. "Just go!"

Without a second thought, he huffed and turned himself invisible. _Fine... _he thought sullenly.

"What about us?" Dulce reminded, desperate for escape now. They needed out and fast!!

"Hello? I'm coming in!" the principal's voice urged.

Pablo and Dulce's eyes went for the knob which was stopped shaking as the sound of a full keyring jingled. They listened as the oh-so familiar click sounded and watched the door knob turn, as slow as their doom would be.

They turned to look at each other.

The door opened.

* * *

"Don't tell me how life is  
Cause I don't really want to know  
Don't tell me how this game ends  
Cause well just see how it goes..."

* * *

E/N: The song "Going Down In Flames" belongs to 3 Doors Down. Oh, and I wouldn't pay much attention to the title of the chappies. Sometimes they may have nothing to do with the chapter at all but merely are what I felt like calling the chapter. I like doing that. 

--Airamé Phantom


	27. Infringement

A/N: Thar she goes!!! XD

* * *

**Chapter Twenty-Seven**

**Infringement**

**

* * *

**

"I hold on so hard  
And pray that I won't say something wrong  
I look at the stars..."

* * *

Dulce closed her eyes and faced the door, ready to accept any punishment that would be put on them: detention? Hopefully no worst than that. As she braced herself to deliver some sort of story on why they were in there, she found Pablo grasp her arm and pull her into him. "What in the-" she started, but did not complete the sentence as two lips pressed against her own before she could say anymore. "Mmnn!" Her eyes widened and she desperately tried to break away from the boy as he pressed close into her. _What the hell is he doing! _she thought. 

Pablo tried to keep a grip on her, hoping she wouldn't get the wrong idea. Mr. Harris was a sucker for the whole lovebird thing. Concoct the right story he'd let you off smooth if you promised to never do it again! He heard the door open all the way and felt a could feeling wash over him. Chills?

"Hello?" the Principal asked into the seemingly empty room. "Hm...could've sworn I heard someone in here. Oh well. I'd better get back to the office."

Upon hearing the words, Pablo quickly let go of Dulce, astounded and confused. "He didn't..." he started, but stopped as he felt something slap himself across the face, leaving his cheek stinging and red, no doubt. He touched his face and turned to stare at the perpetrator, shocked.

"You stupid jerk!" Dulce shouted, breathless. "What the hell was that for!?"

"I was trying to-"

Laughing made him stop dead in the middle of the sentence. Danny Phantom reappeared sitting against the wall, gripping his stomach as he laughed, pratcically kicking his feet. "Oh man!" he said, the laughter dying down. Dulce's face burned red and she covered her mouth. Pablo blinked, confused.

"Wait a second..." Pablo mumbled, finally catching on. He growled and pointed accusingly at the laughing teenager. "You turned us invisible, didn't you? Why didn't you just sya you could do that in the first place?!"

Nothing could wipe the smile off his face. He pointed back at him. "Hey, I tried to tell you, but you wouldn't let me!" Pablo seethed, his face starting to burn red as well. Danny started laughing once more.

It felt good to laugh. He hadn't done that in awhile. At least, not like this. Not like when he used to laugh with Sam and Tucker. But it was shortlived. Before he could determine what was happening, he found something hard and cylindrical in shape being thrown at his stomach. A few more inches down and that could've REALLy hurt! He blinked, laughter gone. The thermos. He looekd up at the perosn who'd thrown it.

Dulce brushed locks of hair behind her ear. Her stare was angyr and cold. "Here's your stupid thermos," she said, voice low and sinister. Neither Pablo nor Danny said a word as she stepped between them and towards the door, hand frozen on the knob as she remarked without a second glance, "You're both a bunch of jerks." Then she left, slamming the door behind her.

"Damn," Pablo mumbled, and started after her. "Dulce! Wait up!"

Danny watched them go, woundering what on earth had just gone on. He stood up, finding himself alone in the room now. He stared at the thermos then, the same dread he'd felt before starting to sink in once again in the solace. He gripepd the thermos twice, knowing exactly how it had fallen into her hands. She must have found it lying around when he dropped it in the hall. He also wouldn't be surprised if she'd found otu what it did from some newspaper article from Amity Park.

"So much for laying low for as long as possible," he grumbled to himself. Now the pressure and urgency was rising. He needed to capture Dan as soon as possible. The quicker those two were out of danger, the better. He couldn't let Dan hurt anyone else. He wouldn't allow it. By all means possible, he needed to stop him. "Watch out, Dan," he said into the air, as if expecting the ghost to hear him. "I've defeated you once, I can do it again."

_We'll see, Phantom, _**he **thought, watching as the boy disappeared form sight, _we'll see who shall defeat who...this Time. _

* * *

"Dulce! Come on!" Pablo exclaimed, sitll chasing after the fast-paced girl. She wouldn't turn back to even look at him. 

"Leave me alone, Dominguez!" she shouted, dodging past a couple of teenagers wlaking down the hall the opposite way she was going. Pablo tried to scramble to a stop before he crashed into the same two teenagers, muttering an apology as he squeezed past them.

"Oh come on!" he cotinued to shout after her. "I didn't do anything!"

Dulce didn't respond, she walked straight into the Journalism Room and locked the door behind her. Pablo tried the knob, just barely missing his chance to open it. He cursed to himself, turned and put his arms behind his head, trying to calm himself down before banging on the door. "Let me in!" he shouted. "I didn't do anything! Dulce, come on!"

Dulce leaned her back against the door, as if afraid he might come busting in despite it's lock. She waited for the noise he was making otuside to quiet down.

"Come on," he said after a moment. "I'm sorry, okay? I shouldn't have done that." She waited, covering her mouth to try to stop herself from starting to sob. "Dulce? Come on. I said I was sorry. Just let me in. Dulce? Dulce!"

She banged her fist on the door. "Go! Away!" she shouted. There was silence. A short one, before he kicked the door. Dulce felt tears start to well in her eyes as she slowly slid down to the floor into a sitting position. She took in a deep breath, trying to calm herself down. _You over-reacted, _she told herself and smacked her own forehead. _Idiot._

Sighing, she quickly wiped away the oncoming tears and blinked her eyes dry, staring around the empty room. Sighing, she stood up and walked towards a stack of newspapers on the table. Today's issue. She picked one up, deciding to try to get her mind off of this whole thing. She walked over to her corresponding computer desk and sat down on the swivel chair, staring to read over a couple of the articles.

She frowned.

"I don't remember this article..." she mumbled, reading through it. It was badly written, she could see, dozens of typos littered all over the place along with a couple of misused words and abused cliché phrases. "'...about the football team, insulted by peer Danny Fenton." She stood up, "'Jake Morrow in particular was called out in his...threats...'" She looked up from the paper, staring aorund the room, as if she could find the crook who wrote it somewhere inside with her. "These are lies..." she mumbled, staring abck down at the paper. "Who could have written this!?"

Then, as if on cue, an unnatural breeze blew, knocking over the stack of newspapers that was once situated on the desk. She blinked, a sudden chill running down her spine. She shivered.

This...was not normal.

"Who...who's in here?" she asked, fear choking her words. "This isn't funny." She started to slowly ease ehr wya towards the door, twisting the newspaper in her hand into a tube.

But just as she was about to make a run for it, one of the filing cabinets from across the room slipped open. She jumped, freezing on her feet and watching as folder after folder was blown from inside the drawer. She took steps back away from the papers flitting to her feet, heart pounding as an unusual weight seemed to shift into her chest, making it hard to even breathe. Then, she felt herself walk back into something sturdy. She dared not look over her shoulder, only shivered as that _something_ breathe into her ear, "Run, little girl..._run_."

She didn't have to be told twice. As soon as the last word was whispered, she ran for the door, fumbling aorund to unlock it, and let the door slam closed behind her.

"Pitiful."

* * *

E/N: Song, "My Crazy Angel" by Kill Hannah 83 

--Airamé Phantom


End file.
